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NEW    YORK: 


THE 


JUittkflttt  in  tjjj  Ibrtjn 


A  SHORT  ACCOUNT  OF  THE 


FIRST  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  CHRISTIANITY 
IN  RUPERTS  LAND 


CHURCH  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

/*'  "     OF  THB  1 


oRH\j^y^ 
BY  S.  TUCKEK. 


NEW  YORK: 
ROBERT  CARTER  &  BROTHERS, 

BROADWAY. 
1856 


THIS  little  volume  was  undertaken  from 
the  twofold  conviction  that,  while  the  interest 
felt  in  Missionary  work  must  very  much  de- 
pend on  a  knowledge  of  its  details,  the  length 
of  time  that  has  elapsed  since  the  commence- 
ment of  many  of  our  Missions  renders  their 
early  history -almost  inaccessible  to  general 
readers. 

It  is  now  sent  out  to  bear,  however  feebly, 
another  testimony  to  the  power,  love,  and 
faithfulness  of  our  God,  and  "to  the  praise 
of  the  glory  of  His  grace  who  hath  made  us 
accepted  in  the  Beloved." 

And  the  writer  will  have  abundant  cause 
for  gratitude  if  it  shall  please  Him  to  bless  it, 
in  any  degree,  to  the  stirring  up  of  the  luke- 
warm, to  the  encouragement  of  the  faint- 
hearted, or  to  the  increased  thankfulness  of 
the  long-tried  friends  of  Missions. 

Hampstead,  April,  1851. 


CHAPTER  L 

FAGB 

RUPERT'S  LAND  AND  ITS  INHABITANTS     ....        7 
CHAPTER  H. 

THE  FIRST  MISSIONARY 29 

CHAPTER  HL 

FLOOD  AND  FAMINE 52 

CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   GRAND  RAPIDS 75 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE   INDIAN   SCHOOL  AND  MISSIONARY  TRIALS   ...        96 

CHAPTER  VI 

THE  INDIAN  VILLAGE ,      119    . 

CHAPTER  VIL 
INDIAN  VILLAGE  continued — PIGWYS      ....    140 


VI  CONTEXTS. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

PACK 
INDIAN   VILLAGE — RAPIDS — BURNING   OF   PRAIRIES    .  .162 

CHAPTER  IX. 

THREATENED     REDUCTION     OF     MISSIONS VISIT    OF    THE 

BISHOP    OF    MONTREAL DEPARTURE    OF    THE    REV. 

W.   COCKRAN  . 183 

CHAPTER  X. 

CUMBERLAND  STATION 203 

CHAPTER  XL 

LAC  LA  RONGE — MOOSE   LAKE — MANITOBA  LAKE       .  .225 

CHAPTER  XII. 

ARRIVAL  OF  THE  BISHOP   OF  RUPERT'S   LAND  .  .  .      248 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

REV.   R.  AND   MRS.   HUNT SUMMARY   OF  THE   MISSIONS — 

ORDINATION  OF  THE   REV.  H.    BUDD  .  .  .  273 

APPENDIX. 

EXTRACTS   OF  LETTERS  FROM  MR.  AND  MRS.   HUNT  .      302 


JjUittknttt  in  fjrt  Jinrtjr, 


CHAPTER  I. 

RUPERT'S  LAND  AND  ITS  INHABITANTS. 
**  "Without  hope  and  without  God  in  the  world." — EPH.  ii.  12L 

WHO  is  there  among  us  that  has  not  watched 
with  interest  the  evening  rainbow,  when,  after 
a  black  and  stormy  day,  the  setting  sun  gleams 
out  and  paints  the  distant  shower  with  tints 
of  varied  light?  Swiftly  and  silently  the 
bright  vision  steals  across  the  sky,  till  the  bow 
of  heaven  stands  out  complete  in  all  its  ra- 
diant loveliness ;  making,  it  is  true,  the  sur- 
rounding gloom  appear  still  more  gloomy,  but 
giving  promise  of  fairer  and  brighter  days  to 
come. 

Surely  there  can  scarcely  be  a  more  fitting 
emblem  of  missionary  work  in  a  heathen  land. 


8  THE   KAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

When  the  first  missionaries  begin  their  course, 
all  is  dark  and  cheerless,  and  for  a  time  every 
step  they  take  serves  only  to  make  the  dark- 
ness appear  more  impenetrable  and  the  pros- 
pect more  discouraging. 

But  in  His  own  good  time,  the  Sun  of  Eight- 
eousness  shines  forth,  His  quickening  rays 
touch  the  black  mass  of  heathenism,  and  light 
and  beauty  gradually  appear.  He  owns  the 
persevering  labors  of  His  faithful  servants,  a 
little  band  of  sincere  believers  stand  out  more 
and  more  distinct  from  the  heathen  round 
them ;  and  faith  rejoices  in  the  earnest  of  that 
glorious  day  when  nations  shall  walk  in  the 
light  of  the  New  Jerusalem. 

To  no  mission,  perhaps,  can  this  emblem  be 
more  truly  applied  than  to  that  among  the 
North  American  Indians  ;  no  people  were  ever 
enveloped  in  a  thicker  darkness,  and  in  no  spot 
has  the  light  been  reflected  in  more  vivid  hues. 
And  though  the  colors  must  lose  much  of 
their  brilliancy  and  beauty  while  being  trans- 
ferred from  the  original  journals  to  the  pres- 
ent pages,  yet  we  hope  that  this  attempt  to 


KUPERT'S  LAND  AND  ITS'  INHABITANTS.    9 

trace  the  progress  of  heavenly  liglit  may  lead 
our  minds  more  deeply  to  consider  the  degra- 
dation of  man  in  his  unconverted  state,  and 
to  magnify  the  power  of  the  grace  of  God. 

Every  missionary  field  presents,  of  course, 
its  own  peculiar  features,  and  requires,  in  some 
respects,  its  own  peculiar  cultivation ;  but  the 
mission  we  are  now  considering  is,  in  many 
ways,  so  very  different  from  any  other,  that, 
in  order  to  understand  its  special  difficulties 
and  encouragements,  we  must  enter  somewhat 
at  large  into  the  previous  state  of  the  country, 

An  impenetrable  mystery  still  hangs  over 
the  early  history  of  all  the  nations  of  Ameri- 
ca :  when  that  vast  continent  was  first  peopled, 
how,  or  from  whence  its  first  inhabitants  reached 
it  from  the  older  countries,  are  matters  of  only 
vague  conjecture. 

With  regard  to  the  northern  part,  we  only 
know  that  when  first  visited  by  European  ad- 
venturers, it  was  found  to  be  peopled,  by  na- 
tions of  wild  uncivilized  men,  who  from  the 
copper  color  of  their  skin  received  the  appel- 
lation of  Eed  Indians. 


10     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

As  fresh  bands  of  settlers  from  Europe  ar- 
rived from  time  to  time,  these  rightful  owners 
of  the  soil  began  to  melt  away  before  the 
white  man ;  and  though  even  now  a  few  di- 
minished tribes  remain  scattered  here  and  there 
in  Canada  and  the  United  States,*  yet  many 
other  tribes  became  extinct,  and  the  mass  of 
the  people  were  gradually  driven  back  into 
the  immense  tract  of  country  on  the  north 
and  north-west  of  the  white  man's  settlements. 

Here  they  still  remain,  roaming  free  and 
uncontrolled,  but  enduring  all  the  miseries  and 
privations  inseparable  from  a  state  of  barba- 
rism. They  are  divided  into  tribes,  each  with 
its  respective  chief,  and  each,  as  it  would  seem, 
with  a  wide  range  of  country,  considered  as 
its  own,  for  hunting  or  for  fishing ;  and  are 
again  subdivided  into  smaller  bands  under  the 
guidance  of  inferior  chiefs. 

On  the  east  of  the  Eocky  Mountains  they 
have  neither  town,  nor  village,  nor  farm,  nor 
field.  Seed-time  and  harvest  are  unknown  to 

*  It  was  among  these  that  those  devoted  men,  Elliott  and 
Brainerd,  labored,  and  were  blessed  in  their  labors. 


RUPERT'S  LAND  AND  ITS  INHABITANTS.   11 

them,  nor  "have  they  even,  like  the  Bedouins 
of  the  Eastern  deserts,  flocks  or  herds  to  sup- 
ply their  wants. 

They  live  by  hunting,  shooting,  and  fish- 
ing ;  and  their  food  varies,  both  in  kind  and 
quantity,  according  to  their  success.  Some- 
times the  flesh  of  the  buffalo  or  the  deer  fur- 
nishes them  with  abundance ;  sometimes  a 
flight  of  partridges  or  a  flock  of  wild  geese 
supplies  their  wants ;  and  at  others  they  find 
support  from  the  lakes  and  rivers.  Very  often 
they  are  for  days  together  without  any  food 
but  the  berries  they  may  chance  to  meet  with 
in  the  woods ;  and  there  is  many  a  fearful  tale 
on  record  of  children  and  friends  having  been 
sacrificed  to  appease  the  hunger  of  their  pa- 
rents or  companions. 

This  great  uncertainty,  however,  in  their 
supplies,  arises  very  much  from  their  deeply- 
rooted  habits  of  improvidence ;  the  present 
moment  is  all  that  an  Indian  thinks  of;  the 
memory  of  past  suffering  or  dread  of  the  fu- 
ture never  seems  to  occur  to  his  mind.  When 
he  has  plenty,  he  eats  to  excess,  lies  down  and 


12     THE  KAINBOW  IN  THE  NOKTH. 

sleeps,  or  sits  and  smokes  his  pipe,  till  the 
cravings  of  hunger  drive  him  again  to  the 
plains,  or  woods,  or  rivers.* 

They  are  a  singularly  wandering  race,  and 
their  habitations  are  suited  to  their  habits. 
Notwithstanding  the  severity  of  their  winters 
— far  beyond  anything  we  can  realize  in  Eng- 
land— they  have  no  other  shelter  than  a  mise- 
rable tent,  or  wigwam,  made  by  driving  a  few 
poles  into  the  ground,  and  hanging  over  them 
the  skins  of  animals  roughly  sewn  together, 
or  sometimes  only  long  strips  of  the  thick 
soft  bark  of  the  birch-tree.  A  small  opening 
is  left  at  the  top  for  as  much  smoke  as  chooses 
to  find  its  way  there,  from  a  fire  of  logs  in  the 
centre,  while  the  remainder  fills,  and  helps  to 
warm,  the  tent.  The  only  article  of  furniture 
is  an  iron  pot  for  cooking  their  meat,  and  their 
only  implements  are  a  knife,  a  gun,  a  war- 
club,  and  some  bows  and  arrows.  Occasion- 
ally, in  summer,  a  fluctuating  party  of  two  or 
three  hundred  families  may  be  found  congre- 

*  Occasionally,  but  very  seldom,  the  women  dry  the  flesh 
of  the  buffalo,  and  preserve  it  for  future  use. 


RUPERT'S  LAND  AND  ITS  INHABITANTS.   13 

gated  together  for  a  few  weeks  or  months  on 
the  bank  of  some  lake  or  river  where  the  fish 
are  plentiful,  but  except  on  these  occasions, 
there  are  seldom  more  than  two  or  three  tents 
ever  seen  together,  and  generally  they  roam 
about  in  single  families.  "When  they  have  re- 
mained a  few  days  in  one  spot,  and  exhausted 
its  resources  of  food,  they  take  off  the  cover- 
ing of  their  tent,  roll  it  up,  and,  placing  it 
either  in  their  canoe  or  on  the  shoulders  of 
their  wives,  set  off  for  some  new  abode. 

The  dress,  and  indeed  the  whole  deport- 
ment, of  the  North-west  American  Indian, 
differs  greatly,  according  to  their  locality.  The 
appearance  of  those  among  them  who  border 
on  either  the  English  or  American  population 
is  miserable  in  the  extreme.  Some  will  be 
clothed  in  dirty,  ragged  blankets;  others  in 
still  dirtier  dresses  of  worn  and  tattered  hare- 
skins  ;*  while  others  will  be  seen  with  no 
other  covering  than  a  cloth  round  their  waist. 
Those  who  are  better  off  will  have,  perhaps,  a 
leathern  jacket,  with  a  cleaner  blanket  over  it, 

*  See  Bishop  of  Montreal's  Journal,  p.  32. 


14  THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

their  faces  painted  black,  with  circles  of  ver- 
milion round  their  eyes,  and  their  long,  black 
hair  adorned  with  brass-thimbles,  which  they 
have  purchased  from  some  neighboring  trader. 
The  appearance  of  the  tribes  in  the  interior 
is  more  manly  and  independent,  and  their 
clothing  much  more  substantial  and  comforta- 
ble. Some  of  their  chiefs  even  display  a  kind 
of  savage  magnificence  in  their  attire ;  their 
leathern  jackets  are  often  worked  with  porcu- 
pine-quills and  hair  of  the  moose  deer,  dyed 
of  various  colors ;  and  their  robes  and  caps  of 
fur  are  sometimes  very  handsome.  But  with 
that  strange  propensity  to  imitate  the  inferior 
creatures,  they  not  only  ornament  their  head- 
dress with  feathers,  but  often  fasten  into  it  the 
ears  or  horns  of  some  animal.  The  hair  of 
the  woman  is  kept  short,  but  the  men  encour- 
age theirs  to  grow  ;  it  often  is  so  long,  that  it 
reaches  to  their  feet,  and  sometimes  trails  upon 
the  ground.*  They  divide  it  into  tresses  con- 
fined by  bands  of  quill- work ;  and  when  the 

*  Reversing  what  we  are  told  in  1  Cor.  xi.  14,  15,  is  the 
natural  order, 


RUPERT'S  LAND  AND  ITS  INHABITANTS.     15 

natural  hair  does  not  grow  long  enough  to  suit 
the  fancy  of  the  owner,  he  often  glues  on  false 
locks  under  these  convenient  bands.  That 
portion  of  their  hair  which  grows  at  the  top 
of  the  head  is  called  the  scalp-lock,  and  is 
prized  above  all  the  rest.  This  scalp-lock  is 
the  favorite  trophy  in  Indian  warfare ;  and 
when  a  warrior  has  slain  his  enemy,  or  made 
him  prisoner,  the  scalping-knife  is  always  at 
hand  to  cut  off  the  flesh  of  the  upper  part  of 
the  forehead  and  head.  As  may  be  supposed, 
it  is  a  dreadfully  painful  operation;  but  the 
dark  places  of  the  earth  are  full  of  cruelty ; 
and  the  scalp-lock  of  the  sufferer  is  made  into 
fringes  for  the  sleeves  and  robe  of  the  con- 
queror. 

In  speaking  of  the  dress  of  the  Indians,  we 
must  not  omit  their  neatly-made  leggings  and 
moccasons,  of  soft  deer-leather,  often  very  pret- 
tily ornamented  with  quill- work,  "  and  fitting," 
we  are  told,  "as  tightly  as  a  lady's  glove."* 

It  will  readily  be  supposed,  that  the  cultiva- 

*  "  Hudson's  Bay,"  by  R.  W.  Ballantyne.  Blackwood  and 
Sons. 


16  THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

tion  of  their  minds  forms  no  part  of  the  em- 
ployment of  these  sons  of  the  forest  and  the 
prairie ;  they  are  entirely  ignorant  of  every 
art  and  science,  though  the  poetical  eloquence 
of  some  of  the  impassioned  addresses  of  the 
chiefs,  the  skill  shown  in  the  work  of  the 
moccasons,  and  in  the  rude,  yet  spirited,  at- 
tempts at  sculpture  occasionally  seen  on  rocks, 
show  that  they  are  not  deficient  in  natural 
talent. 

The  education  of  the  boys  consists  merely 
in  training  them  to  the  management  of  their 
horse,  and  to  the  use  of  the  bow,  the  gun,  or 
the  war-club.  Their  first  essays  in  the  art  of 
destruction  are  against  the  beautiful  butterflies 
or  humming-birds  that  flutter  round  them,  or 
on  the  grasshoppers  beneath  their  feet.  By 
degrees,  they  are  suffered  to  engage  with 
nobler  enemies,  till  they  are  thought  worthy 
to  accompany  their  fathers  to  hunt  the  deer 
and  buffalo,  or  to  a  savage  conflict  with  their 
enemies. 

The  most  valuable  articles  of  an  Indian's 
property  are  his  horse  and  his  canoe.  The 


BUPERT'S  LAND  AND  ITS  INHABITANTS.    17 

former  lie  obtains'  from  the  plains,  which  in 
many  parts  abound  with  them,  they  are  small, 
but  very  fleet  and  strong;  and  an  Indian  is 
never  so  happy  as  when,  with  his  bow  and 
quiver  slung  upon  his  shoulder,  and  a  shield 
of  buffalo  skin  upon  his  arm,  he  mounts  his 
impatient  steed  to  dart  upon  his  enemies,  or  to 
plunge  into  a  flying  herd  of  buffaloes,  and 
send  his  unerring  arrow  to  the  heart  of  his 
selected  victim.  His  canoe  is  made  of  birch- 
bark,  lined  with  extremely  thin  flakes  of  wood, 
with  some  light  timbers  to  give  strength  and 
tightness  to  the  fabric.  In  this  frail  bark, 
generally  from  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  in  length, 
a  whole  Indian  family  will  travel  hundreds  of 
miles,  through  rivers  and  lakes  innumerable — 
now  floating  swiftly  down  a  foaming  rapid,  and 
anon  gliding  across  a  quiet  lake ;  or  when  a 
waterfall  or  dangerous  rapid  impedes  its  pro- 
gress, it  is  so  light  as  to  be  carried  on  one  man's 
shoulder  along  the  "  portage." 

Their  religion  seems  to  consist  in  a  vague 
idea  of  a  Supreme  Being,  whom  they  call  "the 
Great  Spirit,"  or  "the  Master  of  Life,"  and  a 


18  THE   RAINBOW   IN   THE   NORTH. 

scarcely  less  vague  belief  in  inferior  spirits  of 
evil,  to  whom  they  sometimes  offer  sacrifi- 
ces, and  of  whom  images  have  occasionally 
been  found ;  but  they  have  no  temple  or  place 
of  worship  even  of  the  simplest  description. 

There  is  among  them  an  universally  received 
tradition  of  the  deluge,  though  mixed  with 
the  wildest  fables.  They  have  some  idea  of 
a  future  state,  where  the  evil  are  condemned 
to  dwell  in  perpetual  ice,  and  the  good  are  ad- 
mitted to  a  land  where  the  hunting-grounds 
are  always  good,  where  the  sun  forever  shines, 
the  trees  are  always  green,  and  where  there 
is  an  endless  succession  of  feasting,  dancing, 
and  rejoicing. 

There  is  one  very  remarkable  custom,  evi- 
dently connected  with  their  religious  ideas, 
which,  though  abandoned  by  the  tribes  on  the 
frontier,  is  still  observed  by  those  in  the  inte- 
rior. It  is,  that  every  man  must  have  a 
"  mystery*  bag,"  to  which  he  pays  the  great- 

*  Or,  as  it  is  often  called,  a  "  medicine  bag."  The  Indians 
connect  the  art  of  healing  with  that  of  divination  and  mys- 
tery, and  having  borrowed  the  terra  "medecin"  from  the 
French  Canadians,  they  apply  it  to  everything  mysterious> 


RUPERT'S  LAND  AND  ITS  INHABITANTS.   19 

est  homage,  and  to  which  he  looks  for  guid- 
ance and  protection  through  life.  This  mys- 
tery bag  is  often  actually  worshipped ;  feasts 
are  made  in  its  honor,  horses  and  dogs  are  sac- 
rificed to  it ;  and  when  it  is  supposed  to  have 
been  offended,  days  and  weeks  of  fasting  and 
mortification  are  undergone  in  order  to  ap- 
pease it.  It  consists  of  the  skin  of  some  par- 
ticular animal ;  sometimes  it  is  a  muskrat,  a 
beaver,  an  otter,  or  even  a  wolf,  or,  it  may  be, 
a  snake,  or  a  toad,  or  a  mouse,  or  a  sparrow. 

The  manner  in  which  this  indispensable 
possession  is  obtained,  is  as  follows: — When 
a  boy  is  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  of  age,  he 
leaves  his  father's  tent  and  wanders  into  some 
secluded  spot  in  the  woods,  where  he  throws 
himself  on  the  ground,  and  remains  in  that 
position  for  three  or  four,  or  even  five  days, 
without  food,  crying  to  the  "  Great  Spirit." 
When  at  last  he  suffers  himself  to  fall  asleep, 
'  the  first  animal  he  dreams  of  is,  he  believes, 
the  one  appointed  for  him  by  this  mysterious 
being.  He  returns  to  his  father's  tent,  takes 
some  food,  and  sallies  forth  to  procure  the  re- 


20     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

quired  animal.  When  he  has  succeeded,  he 
dresses  the  skin,  ornaments  it  according  to  his 
fancy,  and  carries  it  with  him  through  life  as 
his  strength  in  battle,  and  in  death  as  his 
guardian  spirit  who  is  to  conduct  him  to  the 
beautiful  hunting-grounds  in  the  world  to  come. 
He  values  it  above  all  price,  never  can  be  in- 
duced to  sell  it,  and  should  he  lose  it  in  battle, 
can  never  replace  it  except  by  seizing  on  one 
belonging  to  an  enemy,  whom  he  must  slay 
with  his  own  hand. 

The  being  who  exercises  the  greatest  in- 
fluence over  the  minds  of  the  Indians  is  the 
conjurer,  or  "  medicine-man,"  who,  uniting  in 
himself  the  offices  of  oracle  and  physician, 
turns  the  superstitions  and  sufferings  of  his 
countrymen  to  his  own  profit. 

These  poor  people  consider  all  diseases  to 
be  occasioned  by  an  evil  spirit,  sent  into  the 
afflicted  person  by  some  other  conjurer,  at  the 
instigation  of  a  secret  enemy.  This  spirit  is 
to  be  expelled  by  incantations,  drumming,  and 
the  use  of  certain  herbs ;  if  the  sick  man  re- 
covers, it  is  considered  as  a  victory  of  his  own 


RUPERT'S  LAND  AND  ITS  INHABITANTS.   21 

i 

conjurer  over  the  supposed  enemy ;  or  if  lie 
dies,  it  is  of  course  attributed  to  the  superior 
power  of  the  adversary. 

It  is  not  only  in  times  of  sickness  that  the 
"medicine-man"  is  consulted;  his  advice  is 
sought  for  on  all  occasions  of  importance, 
either  of  a  public  or  private  nature  ;  he  guides 
the  decisions  of  the  tribe  as  to  war  or  peace, 
and  directs  his  inquirers  to  the  best  places  for 
hunting  or  for  fishing. 

When  called  upon  to  exercise  their  art, 
these  impostors  dress  themselves  up  in  the 
most  frightful  and  absurd  manner.  We  read 
of  one  who  covered  himself  with  the  skin  of 
a  bear,  the  head  serving  for  a  mask,  and  the 
huge  claws  dangling  from  his  wrists  and 
ankles,  the  skin  itself  being  also  adorned  with 
those  of  frogs,  bats,  and  snakes.  In  one  hand 
he  held  his  frightful  rattle,  the  sound  of  which, 
continuing  as  it  often  does,  through  night  and 
day,  and  associated,  as  it  must  needs  be,  with, 
the  degradation  and  superstition  of  which  it  is 
the  token,  is  described  as  one  of  the  most  de- 
pressing sounds  imaginable  ;  and  in  the  other 


22  THE   RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

he  brandished  his  magic  spear,  jumping,  dan- 
cing, yelling,  and  growling,  as  if  he  were  pos- 
sessed by  an  evil  spirit.  And  these  men  are 
the  religious  guides  of  these  poor  people ! 

The  Indian  possesses  great  control  over  the 
expression  of  his  feelings;  whatever  be  his 
sufferings,  his  eye  is  always  bright,  his  cheek 
retains  its  color,  while  his  power  of  endurance 
is  almost  beyond  belief.  The  heart  sickens  at 
the  tortures  borne  with  unflinching  courage 
by  prisoners  taken  in  battle ;  while  those  vol- 
untarily undergone  by  the  young  men  of  a 
tribe  to  appease  some  evil  spirit,  or  to  prove 
themselves  worthy  of  being  warriors,  are 
scarcely  less  appalling.  One  of  the  latter  re- 
sembles the  hook-swinging  of  the  Hindoos, 
though  attended  with  far  greater  agony ;  but 
the  various  kinds  of  these  self-inflicted  suffer- 
ings are  too  numerous  and  too  frightful  to  be 
dwelt  upon. 

The  Indian,  as  he  still  roams  in  his  native 
plains  and  forests,  rarely  trodden  by  a  white 
man's  foot,  is,  it  is  true,  less  degenerate  than 
his  brethren  of  the  border ;  and  there  is,  among 


RUPERTS  LAND  AND  ITS  INHABITANTS.     23 

them  all,  a  bravery  and  noble  independence, 
and  an  intense  love  for  their  tribe  and  kin- 
dred, and  especially  for  their  children,  that 
excite  one's  interest ;  but,  on  the  whole,  they 
are  sunk  to  almost  the  lowest  point  in  the 
scale  of  humanity ;  haughty,  vindictive,  cruel, 
and  blood-thirsty,  unable  to  appreciate  either 
moral  or  intellectual  excellence ;  indolent,  im- 
provident, and  selfish  beyond  conception,  with- 
out hope  and  without  God  in  the  world. 

Thus  low  was  their  state  when  first  visited 
by  Europeans,  but  a  still  deeper  degradation 
awaited  those  among  them  who,  when  the  ter- 
ritory was  claimed  as  British  territory,  came 
in  contact  with  so-called  British  Christians. 

It  was  in  the  year  1669  that  King  Charles 
II.  granted  a  charter  to  Prince  Eupert  and 
some  other  persons  associated  with  him,  em- 
powering them  to  undertake  an  expedition  to 
Hudson's  Bay,  in  North- west  America,  for  the 
purpose  of  discovering  a  new  passage  to  the 
South  Seas,  and  for  various  other  objects  ;  and 
securing  to  the  Company  the  exclusive  right 


24     THE  EAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

of  trading  i^  furs,  minerals,  or  any  other  pro- 
ductions of  the  country. 

This  right  at  -first  extended  only  to  those 
countries  watered  by  the  rivers  that  fall  into 
Hudson's  Bay,  and  which  are  comprehended 
under  the  general  name  of  Prince  Rupert's 
Land ;  but  as  the  Company  increased  in  wealth 
and  influence,  their  power  also  increased,  till 
now  their  territories  extend  from  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  to  the  Pacific,  and  from  within  the 
Arctic  Circle  to  the  northern  "boundary  of 
Canada  and  the  United  States. 

Throughout  this  vast  region,  east  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  there  is,  as  we  have  already 
said,  with  the  exception  of  the  Red  Elver 
Colony,  which  will  'form  the  subject  of  the 
succeeding  chapters,  neither  town  nor  village, 
nor  any  work  of  civilized  man,  save  the  scat- 
tered stations  of  the  Company  (called  forts), 
established  here  and  there  for  the  purpose  of 
carrying  on  the  fur  trade  with  the  Indians  of 
the  neighborhood,  of  which  the  principal  one 
is  York  Fort,  on  the  western  shore  of  the  Bay. 
But  what  these  forts  are,  and  how  little  they 


RUPERT'S  LAND  AND  ITS  INHABITANTS.   25 

can  affect  the  general  state  or  appearance  of 
tlie  country,  will  be  better  understood  by  the 
following  extract  from  a  work  by  one  of  their 
own  servants:* 

"  Imagine  an  immense  extent  of  country,  many  hun- 
dreds of  miles  long,  and  many  hundreds  broad,  covered 
with  dense  forests,  expanded  lakes,  broad  rivers,  and 
mighty  mountains ;  and  all  in  a  state  of  primeval  simpli- 
city, undefaced  by  the  axe  of  civilizing  man,  and  unten- 
anted  by  aught  save  some  roving  hordes  of  Red  Indians, 
and  myriads  of  wild  animals.f  Imagine,  amid  this  wil- 
derness, a  number  of  small  squares,  each  enclosing  half 
a  dozen  wooden  houses,  and  about  a  dozen  men  ;  and  be- 
tween any  two  of  these  establishments  a  space  of  forest 
or  of  plains,  from  fifty  to  three  hundred  miles  in  lengtn, 
and  you  will  have  a  pretty  correct  idea  of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company's  territories,  and  of  the  number  and  dis- 
tance between  the  forts.  It  is  as  if  in  the  whole  of  Eng- 
land and  Scotland  there  were  three  hamlets,  one  in  the 
north  of  Scotland,  one  in  the  south-east  coast  of  Eng- 
land, and  the  third  at  the  Land's  End,  with  altogether  a 
population  of  thirty  men,  six  or  seven  women,  and  a 
few  children." 

We  will  not  attempt  to  follow  out  the  sad 

*  "  Hudson's  Bay,"  by  R.  M.  Ballantyne.  Blackwood  and 
Sons. 

f  Chiefly  buffaloes,  deer,  and  wolves,  besides  a  multitude 
of  the  smaller  animals,  whose  skins  furnish  materials  for  tbe 
fur  trade. 


26     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

tale  of  sin  and  suffering  that  ensued  upon  the 
planting  of  these  various  forts ;  we  will  only 
observe,  that  as  the  servants  of  the  Company 
were  generally  young  men  of  enterprise  and 
adventure,  without  any  fixed  religious  prin- 
ciples, removed  so  far  from  those  early  friends 
whose  influence  might  have  restrained  them, 
and  left  without  any  outward  means  of  grace, 
we  can  hardly  wonder  at  their  falling  into 
habits  and  courses  of  sin,  from  which,  under 
other  circumstances,  they  might  have  been 
preserved.  Nor  was  the  evil  confined  to  the 
Europeans,  for,  instead  of  shining  as  lights 
among  their  heathen  neighbors,  they  led  them 
into  depths  of  thicker  moral  darkness. 

The  Indians  near  the  forts  were  used  like 
slaves;  intoxication  and  other  sins  spread  rap- 
idly among  them ;  and  disease  and  increasing 
misery  followed  in  their  train.  An  eye-witness 
writes : — 

"  The  Indians  are  sunk  to  almost  the  lowest  state  of 
degradation  to  which  human  beings  can  be  brought ;  their 
life  is  spent  in  struggles  for  its  support,  and  they  pass  on 
from  infancy  to  death  without  comfort,  without  hope  in 
this  life,  while  no  bright  gleam  of  future  hope  enlight- 


RUPERT'S  LAND  AND  ITS  INHABITANTS.   27 

ens  their  dark  and  cheerless  path,  for  no  one  has  evel 
told  them  of  a  Redeemer's  love." 

But  besides  the  ungodly  Europeans  and  the 
heathen  Indians,  a  new  race  had  sprung  up 
round  each  of  the  Company's  posts  ;  the  chil- 
dren and  descendants  of  European  fathers 
and  Indian  mothers.  These  neglected  "  half- 
breeds^  generally  added  the  heathenism  of 
their  mothers  to  the  irreligion  and  immoral- 
ity of  their  fathers ;  and,  as  they  grew  to 
manhood,  in  most  cases  returned  to  the  wild 
habits  of  their  Indian  relations. 

This  state  of  things  was  not  much  improved 
by  a  colony  formed  on  the  Eed  Kiver,  in 
1811,  by  Lord  Selkirk,  who  invited  persons 
from  Europe  (especially  from  Scotland),  and 
from  Canada,  to  settle  on  the  spot,  and  which 
was  gradually  increased  by  the  retired  ser- 
vants of  the  Company  also  taking  up  their 
abode  there.  The  Canadians  were  French 
Eoman  Catholics,  and  were  occasionally  vis- 
ited by  a  priest ;  but  for  the  so-called  Protest- 
ant portion  of  the  colony,  no  means  of  grace 
were  provided.  It  was  in  1815,  one  hundred 


28  THE   RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

and  forty-five  years  after  the  country  was 
taken  possession  of  by  England,  that  Major 
Semple,  Governor  of  York  Fort,  when  speak- 
ing of  the  desolation  occasioned  by  a  fierce 
struggle  between  the  Hudson's  Bay  and  the 
North-west  Companies,  in  which  he  after- 
wards lost  his  life,  thus  writes  of  the  Eed  Eiver 
Colony : — 

"  I  have  trodden  the  burnt  ruins  of  houses,  barns,  a 
mill,  a  fort,  and  sharpened  stockades,  but  none  of  a  place 
of  worship,  even  on  the  smallest  scale.  I  blush  to  say 
that  throughout  the  whole  extent  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
territories,  no  such  building  exists." 

Could  any  prospect  be  more  gloomy,  or  the 
state  of  any  people,  whether  we  look  at  the 
Indians,  the  Europeans,  or  the  half-breeds, 
more  dismal  ?  Yet  even  here,  GOD  was  pre- 
paring a  way  for  the  manifestation  of  His 
grace ;  and  in  the  next  chapter  we  shall  hope 
to  trace  the  first  faint  tints  of  the  cheering 
Rainbow. 


flTKlVEH 


CHAPTER  H. 

THE   FIRST  MISSIONARY. 

"How  beautiful  upon  the  mountains  are  the  feet  of  him  that 
bringeth  good  tidings,  that  publtsheth  peace  1" — Is.  lii.  7. 

IT  was  in  the  autumn  of  the  year  1820  that 
a  little  boat  of  birch-rind  might  have  been 
seen  to  leave  York  Fort,  on  the  western  side 
of  Hudson's  Bay,  and  after  coasting  for  a 
while  along  the  shore,  enter  one  of  the  rivers 
that  flow  from  the  interior. 

There  was  nothing  in  this  circumstance  to 
attract  the  attention  of  a  casual  observer — 
similar  boats  were  continually  arriving  at,  and 
departing  from,  the  fort,  during  the  few  brighj;  ; 
months  of  summer  and  early  autumn ;  this  . 
canoe  was,  as  usual,  manned  by  natives,  asd, 
as  was  frequently  the  case,  an  European  g$a- , 
tleman  was  sitting  at  the  stern. 

But  if  any  of  God's  own  people 
a* 


30     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

that  boat  depart,  they  would  have  watched  it 
with  the  warmest  hope  and  joy;  and,  as  it 
gradually  lessened  to  the  view,  and  soon  was 
hidden  from  their  sight  by  some  projecting 
headland,  earnest  prayer  would  have  gone  up 
that  God  would  speed  that  little  vessel  on  its 
course,  and  give  His  abundant  blessing  on  its 
object.  It  was  bound  for  the  Eed  Eiver  Set- 
tlement, and  was  conveying  to  that  distant 
spot  the  first  messenger  of  the  glad  tidings  of 
salvation  that  had  ever  visited  these  neglected 
regions. 

The  attention  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
rpany  in  London  had  for  some  time  before 
been  drawn  to  the  sad  state  of  this  settlement, 
and  they  had  endeavored  to  promote  educa- 
tion among  the  people.  But  the  plan  had  met 
with  very  little  success,  and  they  now,  in  con- 
junction with  the  Church  Missionary  Society, 
resolved  to  send  out  a  chaplain,  or  rather  a 
,  missionary,  in  the  hope  of  benefiting  them. 

The  Eev.  John  West  was  appointed  to  this 
work  ;  he  arrived  at  York  Fort  in  the  end  of 
August,  1820,  and  it  was  his  boat  that  on 


THE  FIRST  MISSIONARY.  31 

September  3rd  might  have  been  seen  to  leave 
York  Fort,  and  soon  after  to  enter  Port  Nel- 
son River. 

The  Indian  canoe,  which  has  been  already 
described,  is  the  only  vessel  that  can  be  used 
in  this  country,  where  the  rivers  are  so  often 
obstructed  by  rapids,  cataracts,  or  shallows, 
that  more  substantial  craft  would  be  useless. 
Frail  as  they  are,  therefore,  all  the  voyages 
are  made  in  them,  and  they  are  the  only 
means  for  conveying  goods  and  stores  to  the 
inland  posts. 

Mr.  West's  course  up  the  river  was  a  tedi- 
ous one ;  not  only  had  the  boat  to  make  its 
way  against  the  stream,  but  it  was  often 
brought  to  a  stand  by  what  is  called  a  "por- 
tage," or  carrying-place,  that  is,  by  a  cataract 
or  rapid,  where  the  men  are  obliged  to  land, 
unload  the  boat,  and  carry  both  it  and  its  con- 
tents on  their  shoulders  along  the  banks, 
sometimes  for  five  or  six  miles,  over  broken 
rocks,  or  through  deep  and  miry  swamps,  till 
they  come  to  smoother  water  again. 

At  night  the  party  landed,  lighted  a  fire  of 


32  THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

logs  of  pine  to  warm  themselves  and  dress 
their  food ;  and  Mr.  "West,  wrapping  himself 
in  his  blanket,  laid  down  to  sleep  on  branches 
of  the  pine. 

September  in  that  country  is  as  cold  as  Jan- 
uary in  England,  and  some  of  the  boatmen, 
finding  how  unaccustomed  he  was  to  the  se- 
verity of  the  climate,  used  kindly  to  make  a 
sort  of  rude  tent  to  shelter  him.  They  them- 
selves slept  without  any  shelter,  except  that  in 
rainy  weather  they  would  creep  under  the 
canoe,  which  was  always  drawn  ashore  and 
inverted  for  the  night. 

We  must  not  omit  to  mention  the  care  that, 
was  taken  every  night  to  examine  this  fragile 
vessel,  and  to  ascertain  whether  the  birch-rind 
had  been  injured  by  sharp  rocks  or  aiyy  other 
obstacle.  A  keg  of  resin  and  some  spare 
pieces  of  bark  are  always  taken  on  these  oc- 
casions to  spread  over  the  seams,  or  to  repair 
any  more  serious  injury. 

In  Mr.  West's  progress  up  the  river  he 
passed  Oxford  House,  one  of  the  Company's 
posts,  and  in  about  a  month  after  he  left  York 


THE  FIRST  MISSIONARY.  33 

Fort,  he  came  to  another  station  called  Nor- 
way House,  on  the  north-east  shore  of  Lake 
Winnipeg;  or,  as  it  might  be  more  aptly 
called,  the  Sea  of  Winnipeg,  for  this  large 
sheet  of  water  is  not  less  than  300  miles  in 
length  and  50  in  breadth. 

The  voyage  from  Norway  House  was  much 
more  rapid  and  agreeable  than  it  had  been  up 
the  river.  The  little  sail  was  hoisted,  and  as 
the  boat  glided  along  the  unruffled  surface  of 
the  lake,  or  danced  over  its  blue  waves,  Mr. 
West  was  able  to  enjoy  the  varied  scenery  of 
its  shores,  and  the  picturesque  islands  that 
adorned  its  bosom. 

There  might  now  be  seen  sitting  by  his  side 
two  young  Indian  boys,  dirty,  half-clad,  and 
uncivilized.  One  had  been  intrusted  to  him 
at  York  Fort  by  his  father ;  the  other  was 
given  to  him  at  Norway  House.  They  knew 
but  little  of  English,  and  nothing  of  God,  but 
Mr.  West  was  endeavoring  to  lead  their  minds 
to  Him,  and  teaching  them  to  pray ;  and  the 
simple  prayer,  '"Great  Father,  bless  me  through 


34  THE   RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord,"  was  often  heard  in 
broken  accents  from  their  lips. 

On  October  the  13th  the  party  entered  the 
Red  River,  and  two  days  more  brought  them 
to  the  settlement. 

Mr.  "West  had  suffered  much  during  this 
voyage  of  800  miles ;  for  six  weeks  he  had 
passed  the  whole  day,  from  sunrise  to  sunset, 
in  an  open  boat,  exposed  to  every  change  of 
weather,  his  limbs  cramped  by  want  of  space, 
and  benumbed  by  the  wintry  air ;  but  the 
spirit  that  glowed  within  his  breast  was  not  to 
be  quenched  by  difficulties ;  and  though  it 
was  Saturday  afternoon  when  he  arrived  at 
the  settlement,  he  would  not  lose  one  precious 
opportunity,  but  gave  notice  of  Divine  ser- 
vice on  the  following  day. 

The  population  at  Red  River  consisted  at 
-  this  time  (besides  the  Roman  Catholic  Cana- 
dians) of  between  500  and  600  Scotch  and 
English  settlers,  a  large  number  of  half-breeds, 
and  some  native  Indians,  none  of  whom  had 
access  to  any  means  of  grace,  unless,  as  was 
Very  rarely  the  case,  any  of  the  Europeans 


THE  FIRST  MISSIONARY.  35 

happened  to  have  brought  a  Bible  with  them 
from  their  fatherland. 

Mr.  West  was  much  encouraged  by  finding 
on  Sunday  the  large  room  at  the  Fort  crowded, 
and  the  people  very  attentive  to  the  prayers 
and  to  the  sermon ;  and  he  commenced  his  la- 
bors full  of  hope. 

To  many  among  the  congregation  the  words 
of  our  beautiful  Liturgy  fell  on  the  ear  and 
heart  as  a  long-forgotten  strain,  bringing  back 
many  a  thought  of  former  days  and  long-lost 
privileges,  perhaps  unappreciated  at  the  time ; 
but  to  the  greater  part  of  the  assembly  both 
the  prayers  and  the  preaching  were  a  new  and 
unknown  sound ;  for  never  before  had  the  glad 
tidings  of  the  Gospel  been  heard  in  that  colony. 

This  first  setting  forth  the  message  of  salva- 
tion produced  much  emotion  among  the  peo- 
ple; and  though  some  of  this  afterwards 
proved  to  be  like  the  early  dew  that  passeth 
away,  yet  to  many  the  word  of  truth  pro- 
claimed on  this  and  on  succeeding  Sundays 
proved  a  savor  of  life  unto  life.  One  of  the 
settlers  in  particular  spoke  of  the  first  Sunday 


SO     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

that  lie  had  attended  Mr.  West's  ministry  aa 
the  happiest  day  in  his  life,  as  it  restored  to 
him  the  blessings  of  public  worship,  of  which 
he  had  been  deprived  for  the  last  thirty  years. 

Mr.  "West  found  full  employment  among  the 
Europeans  and  half-breeds;  many  of  the  for- 
mer he  prevailed  upon  to  marry,  and  among 
the  latter,  he  baptized  the  very  few  who  were 
at  all  prepared,  .instructed  those  who  were 
willing  to  be  taught,  and  established  a  school 
under  Mr.  Garbage,  in  which  he  was  much 
encouraged  by  the  progress  of  the  children. 
But  his  heart  especially  yearned  towards  the 
native  Indians,  and  the  thought  of  their  sad 
condition  weighed  heavily  on  his  mind.  His 
own  appointed  sphere  of  work  reached  300  or 
400  miles  into  the  interior ;  but  his  thoughts 
and  desires  stretched  far  beyond,  and  he 
mourned  in  spirit  as  he  remembered,  that  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  no  Protestant  mis- 
sionary had  ever  been  sent,  no  word  of  salva- 
tion had  ever  sounded. 

The  Canadian  Eoman  Catholic  priests  had 
attempted  to  do  something  among  those  tribes, 


THE  FIRST  MISSIONARY.  37 

by  joining  themselves-  to  them,  and  conform- 
ing to  their  savage  life ;  but  the  attempt  failed, 
and  except  that  the  shores  of  the  Pacific  have 
since  been  visited  by  the  American  mission- 
aries, these  Indians  still  remain  in  their  heathen 
state,  unthought  of  and  uncared  for  by  any 
Protestant  church.  There  were,  however,  a 
considerable  number  of  these  children  of  the 
forest  within  Mr.  West's  own  appointed  limit ; 
and  an  expedition  he  made  early  in  the  next 
year  to  two  of  the  Company's  posts  (Brandon 
House  and  Beaver  Creek),  gave  him  an  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  something  of  them  in  their 
own  plains  and  forests. 

He  set  out  in  the  beginning  of  January 
(1821),  in  a  sort  of  sledge  called  a  cariole,  the 
only  carriage  that  can  be  used  in  that  part  of 
the  country ;  it  was  drawn  by  dogs,  and  our 
readers  will  be  surprised  to  hear  that  when 
the  track  is  good  and  the  wind  favorable,  these 
faithful,  docile  creatures  will  carry  a  person 
eighty  miles  in  the  twenty-four  hours.  Mr. 
West's  route  lay  across  hills  and  plains  of 
frozen  snow,  unenlivened  by  the  sight  of  a 


38     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

cultivated  field,  an  European  dwelling,  or  even 
an  Indian  wigwam.  The  only  living  beings 
that  broke  the  stillness  of  the  snowy  scene 
were  occasional  herds  of  buffaloes,  with  their 
enemies,  the  wolves,  following  in  their  track  to 
seize  upon  the  weary  or  the  wounded.  He 
travelled  the  whole  day,  and  as  night  ap- 
proached his  attendants  sought  for  a  spot  well 
supplied  with  trees,  where  they  lighted  their 
fires,  and,  hanging  their  guns  on  the  branches, 
prepared  their  evening  meal.  The  whole  party 
then  spread  their  blankets  on  the  frozen  snow, 
and  after  amply  replenishing  their  blazing 
fires,  covered  themselves  with  cloaks  of  buf- 
falo skin,  and  lay  down  till  morning. 

On  one  of  these  nights  they  were  aroused 
foy  the  barking  of  their  dogs,  but  found  it  was 
'Only  a  herd  of  buffaloes  that  were  travelling 
past.  Another  night  they  were  alarmed  by 
hearing  the  drums  of  a  hostile  tribe  of  In- 
dians, apparently  very  near  them.  They  ex- 
tinguished their  fires  -and  watched  till  morn- 
ing, fearing  an  attack ;  but  this  dafager  also 
was  mercifully  averted;  and  excepting  on 


THE  FIRST  MISSIONARY.  39 

these  two  occasions,  their  only  nightly  disturb- 
ance was  the  howling  of  the  wolves  around 
them  in  search  of  prey.  The  cold,  however, 
was  intense,  the  thermometer  sometimes  be- 
ing forty  degrees  below  zero  during  the  latter 
part  of  the  night. 

Mr.  West  was  absent  about  a  month;  he 
visited  the  two  outposts  above  mentioned,  and 
had  many  opportunities  of  speaking  to  the 
very  few  Europeans  and  half-breeds  that  were 
residing  there.  He  had  also  some  interesting 
intercourse  with  some  of  the  Indians ;  but 
though  he  was  listened  to  both  by  Indians  and 
Europeans  with  attention  and  interest,  the 
general  impression  made  on  his  mind  dur- 
ing this  journey  is  thus  painfully  expressed. 
Speaking  of  the  occasional  magnificence  of 
the  sunrise,  he  says : — 

"  The  heavens  do  indeed  declare  the  glory  of  God,  and 
day  unto  day  uttereth  speech ;  but  in  this  wilderness  the 
voice  of  God  is  not  heard  among  the  heathen,  and  His 
name  is  scarcely  known  among  the  Europeans,  except  to 
be  profaned." 

In  this  journey  Mr.  West  travelled  between 


40     THE  KAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

500  and  600  miles,  and  returning  to  Red  Eiver 
early  in  February,  resumed  his  work  there 
with  increasing  ardor. 

The  plan  which  suggested  itself  to  him  as 
the  most  hopeful,  with  regard  to  the  Indians, 
was  the  formation  of  an  establishment  for  na- 
tive boys,  where  they  might  not  only  be  in- 
structed in  the  first  rudiments  of  general 
knowledge,  and  be  taught  the  way  of  eternal 
life,  but  where  they  might  gradually  become 
accustomed  to  agriculture,  and  might  learn 
some  of  the  simpler  usages  of  civilized  life. 

To  this  plan,  however,  the  wild  and  wander- 
ing habits  of  the  Indians  presented  formidable 
obstacles.  ISTot  only  would  it  be  difficult  to 
induce  the  boys  to  remain  long  enough  in  one 
place  to  gain  much  profit,  but  he  knew  that 
these  Bed  men  of  the  woods  despised  any  one 
who  could  not  hunt,  and  fish,  and  shoot,  and 
it  would  therefore  be  necessary  that  these  lads 
should  be  permitted,  while  at  school,  to  retain 
some  of  their  native  habits. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  was  much  to  en- 
courage him ;  the  two  boys  he  had  brought 


THE  FIRST  MISSIONARY.  41 

with,  him  from  York  Fort  and  Norway  House, 
as  well  as  another  who  was  afterwards  sent  to 
him,  were  already  able  to  speak  English  toler- 
ably well ;  they  were  beginning  to  read,  and 
coiild  repeat  the  LORD'S  PRAYER,  and  he  had 
been  able  to  excite  in  them  a  love  for  garden- 
ing, by  giving  them  a  piece  of  ground  to  cul- 
tivate for  themselves.  The  proposed  school 
had  been  a  frequent  subject  of  conversation 
between  himself  and  the  Indians  he  had  met 
with  on  his  late  expedition,  and  had  excited 
so  much  interest  in  their  minds,  that  several 
had  promised  to  think  about  it,  and  perhaps 
to  bring  their  sons  to  him  in  the  summer.  One 
little  fellow,  seven  years  old,  was  actually 
given  up  to  him  at  once,  his  friends  saying, 
that  as  Mr.  "West  had  been  sent  to  them  by 
"  the  Great  Spirit,"  they  could  refuse  him  noth- 
ing. 

Some  of  these  people  fulfilled  the  hopes  of 
Mr.  West,  and  brought  their  boys  to  him  in 
the  course  of  the  summer,  so  that  in  Septem- 
ber, 1821,  he  wrote,  full  of  sanguine  hopes, 
that  early  in  the  following  spring  the  estab 


42  THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

lishment  would  be  completely  formed,  and  a 
building  erected  for  the  reception  of  "  as  many 
boys  as  British  benevolence  would  enable 
him  to  support/' 

In  the  summer  of  this  same  year  he  had 
visited  York  Fort,  and  while  there  had  the 
privilege  of  assisting  Mr.  Garry,  one  of  the 
Company's  Directors,  in  the  formation  of  an 
Auxiliary  Bible  Society, — an  immense  boon 
to  the  whole  country,  and  especially  to  the 
colonists  at  Eed  Eiver,  who  joyfully  availed 
themselves  of  this  first  opportunity  that  had 
been  offered  to  them  of  providing  themselves 
with  copies  of  the  Word  of  God. 

During  the  following  winter  the  work  went 
on  as  usual,  and  in  the  summer  of  1822,  Mr. 
West  paid  another  visit  to  York  Fort,  where 
he  had  the  gratification  of  meeting  with  those 
two  well-known  men  whose  names  have  since 
awakened  emotions  of  admiration  and  anxi- 
ety, of  hope  and  fear,  in  every  English  heart 
Sir  John  (then  Captain)  Franklin,  and  Dr. 
(now  Sir  John)  Eichardson,  were  returning 
from  their  perilous  journey  to  the  shores  of 


THE  FIRST  MISSIONARY.  43 

the  Polar  Sea;  and  the  accounts  they  gave, 
and  the  interest  they  expressed  for  the  Esqui- 
maux among  whom  their  route  had  laid,  and 
of  the  openings  for  schools  among  them, 
kindled  fresh  zeal  and  desire  in  his  heart  for 
extended  missionary  undertakings. 

While  there,  he  received  from  the  Commit- 
tee of  the  Church  Missionary  Society  the  joy- 
ful news  that  they  had  determined  decidedly 
to  adopt  Red  River  as  one  of  their  missionary 
stations,  and  had  appointed  to  it  the  Rev. 
David  Jones,  whose  arrival  might,  if  all  waa 
well,  be  looked  for  in  the  following  year. 

He  returned  with  renewed  spirit  to  his  la- 
bors at  Red  River,  and  this  prospect  of  per- 
manency induced  him  to  attempt  the  erection 
of  a  special  place  for  public  worship.  He 
succeeded  so  well  that  early  in  1823  a  small 
wooden  church  was  opened  for  Divine  service, 
and  shortly  after  this  he  had  the  satisfaction 
of  baptizing  four  of  his  Indian  boys,  two  of 
whom  were  those  he  had  originally  brought 
\yith  him  from  York  Fort  and  Norway  House. 

Alluding  to  these  circumstances,  he  writes . 


THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 


"  As  I  was  returning  the  other  evening  from  visiting 
some  settlers  nine  or  ten  miles  off,  the  setting  sun  threw 
a  lengthened  shadow  from  the  newly  erected  church  and 
school,  and  the  thought  that  there  were  now  in  this  wide 
waste  a  landmark  of  Christianity,  and  an  asylum  for  In- 
dian children,  filled  my  heart  with  praise,  and  awakened 
the  hope  that  the  Saviour  might  make  them  the  means  of 
raising  a  spiritual  temple  in  this  wilderness  to  the  honor 
of  His  name." 

The  expected  arrival  of  Mr.  Jones  seemed 
to  open  to  Mr.  West  a  favorable  opportunity 
of  returning  to  England  to  fetch,  his  wife  and 
family,  from  whom  he  had  now  been  for  three 
years  separated,  and  in  June,  1823,  he  left  the 
settlement,  as  he  then  believed,  for  a  tempo- 
rary absence,  though  circumstances  that  after- 
wards arose  prevented  his  ever  returning  to 
it.  "Writing  of  his  departure,  he  says : — 

"  On  leaving  Red  River  I  addressed  my  farewell  to  a 
crowded  congregation,  and  after  the  administration  of  the 
Lord's  Supper,  we  all  joined  in  prayer,  that  the  mission- 
ary who  was  on  his  way  hither  might  be  tenfold,  yea  an 
hundredfold  more  blessed  in  his  ministry  than  I  had  been. 
I  parted  with  tears  from  this  anxious  and  arduous  scene 
of  labor." 

It  was  a  love  that  "seeketh  not  her  own'1 
that  prompted  this  prayer ;  but  when  we  trace 


THE  FIRST  MISSIONARY.  45 

back  the  labors  of  Mr.  West  during  the  sliort 
time  of  his  residence  at  Eed  Eiver,  and  the 
blessing  that  had  attended  them,  we  shall  see 
another  instance  of  that  truth  that  in  spiritual 
as  well  as  in  temporal  things,  "the  hand  of 
the  diligent  maketh  rich."  During  Mr.  West's 
detention  at  York  Fort,  he  made  a  lengthened 
journey  on  foot  along  the  north-west  shore  of 
Hudson's  Bay,  to  Fort  Churchill ;  and  his 
visit  there  quickened  his  anxiety  that  the 
Church  of  CHRIST  should  at  once  enter  in, 
and  take  possession  of,  the  whole  country  in 
the  name  of  her  Lord. 

Soon  after  this  he  sailed  for  England,  but 
not  before  he  had  had  the  satisfaction  of  wel 
coming  the  Eev.  David  Jones  to  the  shores  of 
North  America. 

Mr.  Jones  arrived  at  Eed  Eiver  in  October, 
1823,  and  was  rejoiced  and  encouraged  by  the 
evident  blessing  that  had  been  vouchsafed  to 
the  work  of  his  predecessor.  A  very  differ- 
ent aspect  of  things  now  presented  itself  from 
that  which  had  so  distressed  the  mind  of  Mr. 
West  on  his  first  arrival  three  years  before. 


46  THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

Marriage,  which  was  then  almost  unknown, 
had  now  become  general,  and  had  brought 
with  it  its  attendant  blessings  of  domestic 
comfort  and  social  improvement.  Many  of  the 
parents  were  availing  themselves  of  the  op- 
portunities of  education  provided  for  their 
children ;  the  Sabbath  was  well  observed ;  and 
the  public  ordinances  of  the  Church  were 
well  attended.  Nor  were  there  wanting  evi- 
dences that  some  hearts  had  been  truly  con- 
verted to  God;  and  Mr.  Jones  was  much 
cheered  by  finding,  that  during  the  few 
months  that  had  elapsed  between  the  depart- 
ure of  Mr.  "West  and  his  own  arrival,  a 
social  prayer-meeting  had  been  established. 

During  the  following  winter  the  little  church 
was  crowded  with  Europeans,  half  breeds,  and 
native  Indians ;  and  even  the  hunting-grounds 
bore  testimony  to  the  power  of  the  Gospel; 
for  there  were  many  even  there,  who,  far 
away  for  a  time  from  the  public  means  of 
grace,  resisted  the  temptations,  and  endured 
the  ridicule  of  their  companions,  and  con- 
tinued to  keep  the  Lord's  day  holy. 


THE  FIRST  MISSIONARY. 


It  was  not  long  before  an  additional  place 
of  worship  was  required,  and  with,  the  kind 
assistance  of  Governor  Simpson,  and  by  his 
own  personal  influence  and  exertions,  Mr. 
Jones  succeeded  in  erecting  a  substantial 
church,  ten  miles  lower  down  the  river,  at 
Image  Plains.  This  was  opened  in  January, 
1825,  and  was  soon  as  well  filled  as  the  Upper 
Church,  several  of  the  congregation  coming 
from  a  distance  of  nine  or  ten  miles  every 
Sunday. 

The  schools  continued  to  go  on  favorably ; 
169  boys  and  girls  of  all  classes  were  on  the 
Sunday-School  books,  and  the  establishment 
for  native  Indians  now  contained  twelve  boys, 
who  were  gradually  improving  in  general  and 
scriptural  knowledge.  The  two  elder  ones 
had  made  such  good  progress  in  English,  that 
Mr.  Jones  hoped  it  would  not  be  long  before 
he  should  be  able  to  avail  himself  of  their  as- 
sistance in  the  arrangement  of  a  grammar  of 
their  own  language— the  Cree. 

Mr.  Jones  found  much  encouragement  in  his 
Sunday  evening  meetings  with  these  twelvo 


48     THE  KAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

Indian  boys,  and  lie  mentions  one  evening  in 
particular,  when,  for  the  first  time,  he  ob- 
served anything  like  real  feeling  among  them. 
In  giving  out  the  hymn  beginning,  "Lord, 
while  little  heathen  bend,"  &c.,  he  was  led  to 
tell  them  of  the  cruelties  practised  in  the  idol- 
atry of  the  East,  which  are  alluded  to  in  the 
hymn ;  they  were  affected  even  to  tears,  and 
one  of  them,  an  Assiniboine  Indian,*  asked, 
with  great  simplicity,  "Sir,  is  there  no  school- 
master there  to  tell  them  not  ?"  But  early  in 
1825,  Mr.  Jones  had  the  grief  of  losing  two 
of  these  promising  pupils  by  death  ;  the  first 
who  died,  and  to  whom  the  name  of  William 
Sharpe  had  been  given,  had  been  sent  from 
Churchill  Fort  soon  after  Mr.  West's  visit 


*  Assiniboines  (or  stone-boilers)  derive  this  name  from 
the  singular  mode  in  which  they  used  to  boil  their  meat 
While  the  other  tribes  made  use  of  strong  earthen  jars,  the 
Assiniboines  dig  a  hole  in  the  ground,  which  they  line  with 
the  raw  hide  of  the  animal,  and  fill  with  water.  The  meat 
is  then  put  in,  and  large  stones,  which  have  been  made  red 
hot  in  a  fire  close  by,  are  thrown  in  till  the  meat  is  boiled. 
They  now  use  iron  kettles  purchased  from  the  traders,  ex- 
cept at  their  public  feasts,  when  they  adhere  to  their  ancient 
custom. 


THE  FIBST  MISSIONARY.  49 

there  in  1823  (see  p.  45) ;  lie  was  very  young, 
but  gave  satisfactory  evidence  of  a  real  change 
of  heart.  The  other,  Joseph  Hurbidge,  was 
the  Assiniboine  boy  who  had  been  promised 
to  Mr.  West  on  his  first  excursion,  early  in 
1821,  to  Beaver  Creek  (see  p.  41),  and  who 
had  afterwards  been  brought  to  him  by  his 
father  with  the  remark,  that  as  he  believed 
him  to  have  been  sent  by  the  Great  Spirit,  he 
could  refuse  him  nothing.  The  conduct  of 
some  of  the  relations  of  this  boy  after  his 
death,  throws  considerable  light  on  the  natu- 
ral character  of  these  Ked  men  of  the  woods, 
and  shows  how  truly  they  appreciated  the 
kindness  which  had  been  shown  to  this  lad, 
Mr.  Jones,  writing  on  April  25,  says : — 

"  While  performing  Divine  service  yesterday  I  observed 
a  strange  Indian  looking  in  at  the  window,  whose  features 
struck  me  as  being  like  those  of  poor  Joseph  Hurbidge, 
I  saw  no  more  of  him  till  this  morning,  when  he  came 
and  told  me  the  boy  was  his  sister's  son.  I  walked  with 
him  to  the  grave,  and  was  surprised  at  the  feeling  he 
manifested.  As  we  approached  his  countenance  changed ; 
and  at  last  he  burst  into  a  flood  of  tears ;  he  threw  him- 
self on  the  grave  moaning  piteously,  he  then  rose  up, 
took  off  his  moccasons,  and  with  the  sod  of  an  arrow, 
4 


60     THE  KAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 


notwithstanding  my  remonstrances,  dreadfully  lacerated 
his  feet.  He  walked  back  from  the  grave  barefooted,  his 
steps  marked  by  the  blood  from  his  self-inflicted  wounds. 
How  does  one  daily  see  in  these  poor  Indians  the  noblest 
of  God's  creatures  in  a  state  of  ruin !" 


Soon  after  this,  Mr.  Jones  one  day  picked 
tip  a  small  leathern  bag  near  the  grave,  and, 
on  opening  it,  found  in  it  the  sod  of  the  ar- 
row, and  a  red  substance  like  vermilion. 

A  few  weeks  after  the  visit  of  the  poor 
boy's  uncle,  Mr.  Jones  observed  some  Indians, 
whose  horses  were  laden  like  those  of  the  As- 
siniboines,  come  up  to  the  fence  of  his  garden, 
but  he  took  no  particular  notice  of  them  till 
he  heard  the  women  begin  a  melancholy 
dirge.  Suspecting  from  this  that  they  must 
be  friends  of  the  deceased,  he  sent  for  them 
into  the  house,  and  found  that  his  conjecture 
was  right.  They  had  come  nearly  three  hun- 
dred miles  from  Beaver  Creek  "to  cry  over 
the  grave,"  and  said  they  had  eaten  nothing 
for  six  days.  Among  them  were  the  grand- 
father and  the  mother  of  the  lad.  The  ap- 
pearance of  the  mother  presented  a  sad  in- 


THE  FIRST  MISSIONARY.  51 

stance  of  the  cruel  practices  of  the  Indian 
warriors.  She  had  been  taken  prisoner  in  her 
youth  by  some  hostile  tribe,  and  been  scalped ; 
and  though  the  wound  had  long  been  healed, 
and  tufts  of  hair  were  growing  on  the  top  of 
her  head,  yet  the  muscles  of  her  forehead  and 
eyebrows  had  been  so  Contracted,  that  her  ap- 
pearance was  truly  hideous.  The  father  had 
sent  Mr.  Jones  four  moose-skins,  saying  that 
he  was  not  well  enough  to  come  himself,  and 
besides,  that  "the  grave  was  too  new." 

Mr.  Jones  set  before  them  some  fish  and 
potatoes,  of  which  they  ate  voraciously,  and 
then  lay  down  to  rest,  saying  they  would  visit 
the  grave  in  the  morning.  They  did  so,  ac- 
companied by  Mr.  Jones's  Indian  servant,  and 
spent  some  little  time  there,  making  lamenta- 
ble cries,  and  lacerating  themselves,  as  the 
uncle  had  previously  done.  They  then  came 
back  to  the  parsonage,  and  on  the  following 
morning,  after  a  long  conversation  with  Mr. 
Jones  on  the  subject  of  Christianity,  returned 
again  to  their  wild  forests. 


CHAPTER  III. 

FLOOD  AND  FAMINE. 

"  It  is  good  for  me  that  I  have  been  afflicted,  that  I  might 
learn  Thy  statutes." — PSALM  cxix.  71. 

IT  is  sometimes  profitable  to  dwell  more  at 
length  on  the  history  of  the  earlier  Mission- 
aries, their  difficulties  and  their  labors,  partly 
that  we  may  have  a  more  clear  and  definite 
idea  of  the  mission  in  all  its  subsequent  work- 
ings, and  partly  that  we  may  thankfully  ob- 
serve how  God  is  pleased  to  raise  up  peculiar 
instruments  for  peculiar  work,  bestowing  spe- 
cial gifts  on  those  whom  He  employs  in  laying 
the  foundations  of  His  church  in  a  heathen 
land. 

On  these  two  accounts  it  is  our  purpose  to 
enter  somewhat  in  detail  into  this  part  of  the 
history  of  our  North  West  American  Mission, 
intending  to  pass  more  rapidly  over  inter- 


FLOOD  AND  FAMINE.  53 

mediate  events  till  we  come  nearer  to  the 
present  time. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  Red  River  is 
an  isolated  settlement  of  civilized  and  half- 
civilized  men  in  the  midst  of  an  immense  re- 
gion of  barbarism,  and  that  its  inhabitants  are 
obliged  to  depend  entirely  on  their  own  re- 
sources for  the  means  of  subsistence. 

At  the  time  of  which  we  are  speaking,  a 
very  small  portion  of  land  had  been  brought 
into  cultivation,  and  this  had  been  done  al- 
most solely  by  the  European  settlers,  who  had 
also  succeeded  in  rearing  cattle  in  considerable 
numbers.  The  rest  of  the  inhabitants,  Cana- 
dians, half-breeds,  and  Indians,  had  recourse 
chiefly,  if  not  wholly,  to  the  chase  or  to  fish- 
ing for  their  support. 

Their  principal  dependence  was  on  the 
buffalo  hunt,  which  took  place  twice  in  the 
year,  when,  perhaps,  800  hunters  would  set 
out  in  pursuit  of  this  animal,  accompanied  by 
their  wives  and  children,  and  attended  by  aa 
many  carts  to  bring  home  the  spoil. 

When  the  settlement  was  first  established, 


54:  THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

the  buffaloes  were  found  in  great  numbers  on 
the  neighboring  plains,  but  they  had  gradu- 
ally retreated  farther  and  farther  into  the  dis- 
tant country,  till  now  the  hunters  had  some- 
times to  traverse  200  or  300  miles  before  they 
could  meet  with  a  herd.  When,  however,  they 
did  find  them,  the  slaughter  was  prodigious, 
and,  on  some  occasions,  not  less  than  6000  were 
killed  in  one  expedition.*  Part  of  the  flesh 
supplied  them  with  food  during  the  hunting 


*  The  herds  of  buffaloes  are  sometimes  almost  incredibly 
numerous.  "On  one  occasion  we  were  going  down  the 
river  in  a  canoe  when  we  saw  an  immense  herd  crossing 
just  below  us.  We  had  heard  their  roaring  several  miles 
distant,  and  when  we  came  in  sight  of  them,  we  were  actu- 
ally terrified  at  the  numbers  that  were  streaming  down  the 
green  hills  on  one  side  of  the  river,  and  galloping  up  and 
over  the  bluffs  on  the  other.  As  it  would  have  been  impru- 
dent to  have  ventured  among  them,  we  ran  our  canoe  ashore, 
and  waited  for  some  hours  to  see  the  river  clear,  but  in  vain. 
As  soon  as  the  numbers  began  to  diminish  we  ventured  to 
push  off,  and  at  last  made  our  way  through  them.  From 
the  immense  numbers  that  crossed  the  river  at  this  spot,  the 
bank,  fifteen  feet  in  height,  had  been  torn  and  trodden  down 
so  as  to  form  a  sort  of  road.  This  was  only  one  instance  in 
which  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  congregate  and 
move  about  together." — Abridged  from  Catlin's  North  West 
American  Indians. 


FLOOD   AND   FAMINE.  55 

season,  the  rest  the  women  either  dried  or 
made  into  pemican*  for  future  use. 

From  this  statement  it  will  be  seen  that  if 
the  season  should  prove  unpropitious,  either 
to  the  hunters  or  the  agriculturists,  the  colo- 
nists must  necessarily  be  brought  into  great 
straits,  as  there  was  literally  no  external 
source  whatever  from  which  their  wants  could 
be  supplied. 

It  was  on  this  account  that  the  Missionaries 
had,  from  the  first,  found  it  necessary  to  culti- 
vate land  and  rear  cattle,  so  as  to  raise  their 
own  supplies  of  provisions  for  their  families 
and  schools,  as  well  as  to  be  able  to  assist  the 
number  of  starving  half-breeds  and  Indians, 
whose  improvidence  threw  them  on  the  bounty 
of  others.  But  for  everything  that  they 
needed  beyond  the  produce  of  their  little 
farms, — for  all  other  articles  of  food,  for  fur- 
niture, hardware,  tools,  books,  clothing,  and 
the  .various  minor  things  that  contribute  to 

*  Pemican  is  made  by  pounding  the  fat  and  the  lean  to- 
gether in  a  mortar,  and  then  putting  it  into  leathern  bags, 
in  which  it  is  often  preserved  for  months  without  spoiling. 


66     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

our  daily  comfort,  the  colonists  were,  and  still 
are,  entirely  dependent  on  England. 

This  inconvenience  is  increased  by  the  im- 
possibility of  obtaining  any  supplies  from 
home  except  once  in  the  year.  Hudson's  Bay 
is  blocked  up  by  fields  of  ice,  except  for  a 
brief  space  during  the  summer  months,  so 
that  vessels  can  seldom  reach  York  Fort  be- 
fore  the  end  of  August,  and  are  then  obliged 
to  unload  and  take  in  their  cargoes  as  quickly 
as  possible,  lest  their  return  should  be  cut  off 
by  a  barrier  of  ice  forming  at  the  entrance  of 
the  bay,  and  preventing  their  leaving  it  dur- 
ing the  whole  winter.  This  annual  visit  of 
the  ships  is  also  the  only  opportunity  of 
either  sending  or  receiving  European  letters, 
except  that  once  in  the  course  of  the  winter, 
the  Missionaries  had  the  privilege  of  sending 
a  small  packet  with  the  official  despatches  vid 
Canada. 

But  to  return  from  this  digression  to  the 
history  of  the  mission. 

Mr.  Jones's  health  had  been  greatly  injured 
by  the  severity  of  the  first  winter,  which  had 


FLOOD  AKD  FAMINE.  57 

occasioned  tlie  breaking  of  a  blood-vessel  in 
the  lungs,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  after- 
wards frequently  suffered.  At  the  time  of 
which  we  are  now  speaking  he  was  still  alone 
in  the  mission,  and  had  not  only  Sunday  and 
week-day  services  at  the  Upper  Church,  but 
the  same  also  at  Image  Plains ;  and  we  may 
judge  of  the  difficulty  and  fatigue  he  often 
encountered  by  the  following  passage  from  his 
journal,  which  is  only  one  among  many  sim- 
ilar ones : — 

"  March  26.  Divine  service  as  usual  at  Image  Plains ; 
the  track  was  so  bad  that  I  was  obliged  to  leave  my  horse, 
and  wade  for  the  last  three  miles  through  water  lodged  on 
the  surface  of  the  ice  to  the  depth  of  eighteen  inches  ;  a 
crowded  congregation  as  usual ;  returned  to  the  services 
at  the  Upper  Church  ;  in  the  evening  my  usual  class  of 
Indian  boys." 

Suffering  as  Mr.  Jones  now  was  from  broken 
health,  deprived  of  all  ministerial  advice  and 
sympathy,  and  shut  out  for  months  together 
from  all  intercourse  with  his  native  land,  it 
required  a  more  than  usual  measure  of  strong 
faith,  unwearying  zeal,  and  ardent  love,  to 
prevent  his  spirit  from  sinking,  and  his  heart 


58     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

from  turning  back.  But  God  endowed  him 
richly  with  all  these  graces,  and  there  is  a 
cheerfulness  and  devotedness  in  his  journals 
at  this  time  that  show  how  communion  with 
God  in  the  Christian's  daily  walk  will  support 
and  cheer  him  under  difficulties  and  priva- 
tions. 

He  had  also  granted  to  him  much  encour- 
agement in  his  work.  The  congregations  at 
both  churches  continued  to  increase,  and  it 
was  sometimes  with  difficulty  that  he  could 
make  his  way  through  the  crowd  to  the 
reading  desk.  Often,  when  setting  forth  a 
Saviour's  love,  he  saw  the  deep  feelings  of 
his  hearers,  especially  among  the  half  breeds, 
manifesting  itself  in  tears ;  and  on  one  occa- 
sion he  speaks  of  his  own  mind  being  much 
affected  at  the  manner  in  which  the  whole 
congregation,  English,  Scotch,  Swiss,  Germans, 
Canadians,  Norwegians,  half-breeds,  and  In- 
dians, joined  in  signing  "Crown  Him  Lord  of 
all,"  little  thinking,  he  says,  when  he  first 
read  that  hymn  in  Welsh,  in  the  account  of 
the  formation  of  the  London  Missionary  So 


FLOOD  AND  FAMINE.  59 

ciety,  that  it  would  be  brought  home  to  his 
heart  with  so  much  power  and  interest  in  the 
American  wilderness. 

In  October,  1825,  Mr.  Jones  had  the  com- 
fort of  welcoming  the  Eev.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cockran  to  Eed  Eiver ;  and  the  female  part  of 
the  population  soon  began  to  find  the  advan- 
tage of  having  a  missionary  lady  among  them. 

It  was  not  long  after  this  arrival  that  the 
colony  was  subjected  to  the  most  severe  trial 
it  had  ever  experienced  ;  and  a  short  account 
of  the  circumstances  will  serve  to  illustrate 
the  trials  of  the  Missionaries,  as  well  as  to 
show  the  work  of  the^Holy  Spirit  upon  the 
heart  of  many. 

From  some  cause,  which  does  not  appear, 
the  hunters  had  failed  in  their  winter  expedi- 
tion of  1825-6  against  the  buffaloes ;  so  much 
so,  that  instead  of  bringing  back  the  usual 
supply  of  food  for  future  use,  many  of  them 
had,  even  while  in  the  plains,  been  reduced 
to  the  extremity,  not  only  of  devouring  their 
dogs,  but  of  eating  old  shoes,  buffalo-cloaks, 
and  the  leather  of  their  tents. 


60     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

This  of  itself  was  a  severe  trial  to  the  colo- 
ny, but  a  far  more  severe  and  more  general 
calamity  was  at  hand.  As  the  spring  of 
1826  advanced,  the  river  became  swollen  from 
the  melting  of  the  unusual  quantity  of  snow 
which  had,  during  the  winter,  fallen  on  the 
higher  lands ;  the  thick  crust  of  ice,  with 
which  it  was  bound,  was  gradually  raised  to 
the  level  of  its  steep  banks,  till,  early  in  May, 
the  frozen  mass,  four  feet  and  a  half  in  thick- 
ness, was  dislodged  by  the  impetuous  torrent 
and  borne  towards  the  lake,  carrying  with  it 
everything  that  impeded  its  resistless  progress ; 
young  maple-trees,  oak§,  and  large  elms,  be- 
ing uprooted  and  swept  away. 

SOOH  the  water  rose  above  the  banks,  and 
now  began  a  long  course  of  varied  calamities 
to  the  inhabitants.  The  houses  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  settlement  were  rapidly  filled  with 
water  and  deserted  by  their  occupiers ;  and 
soon  the  higher  ones  shared  the  same  fate; 
the  cattle  were  driven  to  the  few  spots  still 
left  dry,  where  their  piteous  wailings  for  food 


FLOOD  AND  FAMINE.  61 

and  shelter  added  to  the  general  distress  of  the 
scene. 

All  this  time  the  thermometer  continued 
five  degrees  below  freezing  point,  the  weather 
was  stormy,  with  sleet,  hail,  and  driving 
snow,  and  the  suffering  inhabitants  were 
driven  to  take  refuge  on  the  nearest  hills. 
Some  fled  towards  the  lake,  and  pitched  their 
tents  on  the  Cedar  Hills,  nine  or  ten  miles 
(Jistant  from  their  homes;  while  500  or  600 
of  the  rest  found  safety  in  an  opposite  direc- 
tion, and  fixed  themselves  on  the  Snake  In- 
dian Hills,  about  the  same  distance  from  the 
settlement. 

By  degrees,  the  mission  family  and  a  few 
strangers,  who  sought  shelter  from  them, 
alone  remained,  their  house  and  the  Upper 
Church  were  still  untouched,  but  all  around 
was  desolation.  As  far  as  the  eye  coiild  reach 
on  every  side,  the  mighty  torrent  was  holding 
on  its  way,  always  troubled,  and  sometimes 
lashed  into  waves,  several  feet  in  height,  by 
storms  of  wind.  On  one  side,  were  seen 
many  of  the  log-houses  of  the  settlers  higher 

x 


62     THE  KAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

up  the  country,  carried  by  the  flood  across 
what  had  before  been  plains;  while,  on  the 
other,  their  eyes  and  hearts  were  pained  by 
the  sight  of  the  property  and  furniture  of 
their  nearer  neighbors  swept  past  by  the  re- 
sistless current  without  the  possibility  of  sav- 
ing them.  Still  the  water  rose,  and  now  the 
mission-house  itself  began  to  be  in  jeopardy. 
The  Missionaries  endeavored  to  secure  some 
of  their  own  property  and  that  of  the  Society, 
by  placing  it  in  the  roof  of  the  Church ;  for 
though  the  waters  had  entered  the  building, 
the  walls  still  stood  firm.  They  also  prepared 
a  wooden  platform  to  which  they  might  re- 
treat in  case  of  sudden  necessity ;  and  it  was 
well  they  did  so,  for,  in  the  course  of  the 
night,  the  water  suddenly  burst  into  the 
house. 

Sunday,  May  14,  "was  a  very  dismal  day; 
no  people  assembling  to  celebrate  the  day  of 
rest,  no  church  to  go  to ;"  but  they  held  Di- 
vine Service  on  Uie  platform,  ^ow  the  only 
abode  of  about  .Irty  persons,  including,  be* 
sides  themselves  a^cL  the  Indian  bo  vs.  •>.  row 


FLOOD  AND  FAMINE.  63 

poor  people  who  had  lingered  near  their 
ruined  homes  in  the  vain  hope  of  saving  some 
of  their  possessions. 

For  three  days,  they  continued  there,  but 
the  flood  still  rising,  and  the  wind  becoming 
so  strong  as  to  threaten  the  safety  of  their 
fragile  retreat,  they  determined  to  follow  the 
example  of  their  neighbors.  With  some  dif- 
ficulty they  procured  boats,  and  taking  with 
them  as  many  small  articles  of  daily  use  and 
comfort  as  they  could,  they  rowed  over  fields 
and  plains,  now  an  almost  uninterrupted  waste 
of  water,  to  the  Snake  Indian  Hills.  Here 
they  pitched  their  tents,  and  here  they  re- 
mained a  month  in  anxious  suspense,  watch- 
ing the  continual  rising,  and  at  length  the 
subsiding  of  the  waters,  with  feelings  of  alter- 
nate fear  and  hope,  sorrow  and  thankful  joy, 
till  the  12th  of  June. 

It  was  a  month  of  much  bodily  as  well  as 
mental  suffering ;  the  weather  was  inclement 
and  the  cold  severe ;  the  encampment  consist- 
ed of  130  tents,  besides  many  Indian  wig- 
wams ;  the  want  of  furniture  and  other  con- 


64  THE   RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

veniences  caused  great  discomfort,  while  the 
state  of  Mrs.  Cockran's  health  made  every 
privation  to  be  doubly  felt. 

On  one  occasion  a  violent  hurricane  arose 
suddenly  in  the  middle  of  the  night  and  blew 
down  many  of  the  tents  and  all  the  wigwams ; 
the  scene  was  one  of  indescribable  confusion, 
and  in  the  midst  of  it,  their  alarm  was  wrought 
up  to  the  highest  pitch,  by  a  spark  from  one 
of  the  tents  having  set  on  fire  the  long  grass 
with  which  they  were  surrounded.  The  flame 
ran  swiftly  along  the  ground,  and  destruction 
seemed  inevitable ;  but  God  in  His  mercy  pre- 
served them. 

A  torrent  of  rain  was  sent  which  extin- 
guished the  fire  ;  the  wind  lulled,  and  all  fur- 
ther danger  was  averted. 

It  is  refreshing  to  mark  the  spirit  in  which 
these  trials  were  received,  not  only  by  the 
missionaries  themselves,  but  by  their  flock. 
Of  himself  and  his  fellow-laborers,  Mr.  Jones 
says : — 

"  Every  recurrence  of  our  devotional  hours  brings  with 
it  a  subject  of  gratitude  in  some  visible  proof  of  the  care 


FLOOD  AND   FAMINE.  65 


of  our  gracious  God  for  His  unworthy  servants.  Let  me 
beg  that  the  language  of  gratitude,  as  well  as  of  prayer, 
be  employed  at  your  assemblies  in  behalf  of  this  infant 
mission.  Our  trials  have  been  great,  though  we  have  not 
dwelt  much  on  them ;  we  would  rather  join  in  thanksgiv- 
ing to  the  Author  and  Giver  of  life,  that  we  are  still 
monuments  of  mercy,  and  permitted  to  lift  up  our  feeble 
voices  in  testimony  to  the  goodness  of  Jehovah." 

Again,  he  says  : — 

"  The  people  seem  to  receive  all  this  as  a  chastisement 
from  God,  and  they  await  the  issue  from  His  gracious 
hand.  Houseless  as  they  are,  their  language  is  still, c  It 
is  the  Lord.' " 

Then,  after  enumerating  the  deliverances 
and  mercies  they  had  received,  he  adds  that 
their  chief  concern  was  for  Mrs.  Cockran, 
who,  however,  bore  all  these  trials  with  never- 
failing  patience  and  cheerfulness. 

An  interesting  anecdote  is  related  of  a  little 
incident  which  occurred  about  this  time,  and 
helped  to  cheer  them.  A  party  of  settlers, 
who  were  crossing  the  inundated  plains  one 
Sunday  morning  in  their  canoes,  thought 
they  heard  the  voice  of  singing.  They  rowed 
towards  the  spot  from  whence  the  sound  pro- 
ceeded, and  found,  on  a  wooden  stage,  not 
5 


66     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

more  than  eighteen  inches  above  the  water,  a 
party  of  half-breed  young  women  singing 
hymns ;  they  were  resting  for  the  day,  anxious, 
as  far  as  might  be,  to  keep  it  holy.  The 
settlers  passed  on,  unwilling  to  disturb  them, 
but  not  a  little  struck  with  thus  hearing,  in 
the  midst  of  surrounding  desolation,  the  sweet 
voices  of  those  lately  ignorant  and  degraded 
beings  floating  over  the  waters  in  songs  of 
praise. 

On  the  12th  of  June,  the  waters  were  suffi- 
ciently abated  to  allow  of  the  people's  return  ; 
but  it  was  a  dismal  scene  that  awaited  them. 
Only  three  houses  in  the  whole  settlement 
were  left  standing;  one  of  them,  to  the  joy 
and  thankfulness  of  the  missionaries,  was 
their  own  dwelling ;  but  they  only  found  the 
outer  walls ;  everything  else  was  gone ;  the 
partitions  between  the  rooms,  the  doors,  the 
windows,  and  the  furniture  had  all  been  swept 
away. 

The  Upper  Church  had  suffered  less  than 
any  other  building ;  but  that  on  Image  Plains 
had  not  fared  so  well. 


FLOOD  AND   FAMINE.  67 


"  The  glass  windows  were  driven  out  by  the  current, 
the  seats  were  shattered  and  mostly  carried  away,  the 
pulpit  swept  from  the  foundation,  the  doors  battered  down 
and  all  the  plastering  washed  off;  in  short,  the  desolation," 
writes  Mr.  Jones,  "was  complete.  But,"  he  adds,  "I 
could  not  help  thinking  this  might  be  intended  as  a  useful 
lesson  to  me,  to  teach  me  not  to  suffer  my  mind  to  wander 
from  the  main  object  of  my  ministry  by  any  external  cir- 
cumstances. I  had  often  looked  on  this  church  as  a  child 
of  my  own  rearing.  I  had  worked  at  it  many  a  day  with 
my  own  hands ;  and  with  the  aid  of  the  settlers  had 
brought  it  to  a  tolerable  degree  of  perfection ;  now  my 
idol  is  completely  tarnished.  Still  I  am  thankful  that  we 
are  not  deprived  of  it  as  a  place  of  worship,  and  the  Gos- 
pel will  sound  as  well  from  behind  a  table  as  from  my 
handsome  pulpit." 

Very  melancholy  was  the  return  of  the 
missionaries  and  the  people  to  their  former 
abode :  their  houses  in  ruins ;  much  of  their 
stock  of  provisions,  both  for  themselves  and 
their  cattle,  destroyed  by  the  flood ;  and  the 
supply  of  preserved  buffalo  meat,  as  we  have 
before  said,  very  scanty.  But  the  trials  of 
this  eventful  year  did  not  end  here :  the  inun- 
dation had  occurred  just  at  the  season  for 
sowing  their  crops,  and  though  the  spade  and 
plough  were  at  work  again  as  soon  as  the  land 


68     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

was  sufficiently  dry,  it  was  too  late  for  them 
to  expect  even  a  tolerable  harvest.  Distress 
and  famine  seemed  their  only  prospect,  and 
their  fears  were  but  too  soon  realized. 

The  missionaries  were  often  reduced  to  the 
extremity  of  not  knowing  from  whence  the 
food  for  the  next  day  could  be  procured ;  and 
more  than  once,  the  only  supply  for  them- 
selves and  their  household,  including  the  In- 
dian boys,  was  some  half-ripe  barley.  With 
a  view  of  preventing,  if  possible,  a  recurrence 
of  the  same  distress,  Mr.  Cockran,  with  his 
characteristic  energy,  determined  to  bring  a 
little  more  land  into  cultivation ;  but  having 
no  means  of  feeding  another  laborer,  he  was 
obliged  to  plough  it  up  with  his  own  hands, 
while  he  taught  two  of  his  Indian  boys  to 
drive  the  oxen. 

The  journals  of  the  missionaries  during  this 
long  season  of  suffering  are  very  interesting, 
but  we  will  only  make  the  two  following  ex- 
tracts from  that  of  Mr.  Cockran : — 

"  Being  in  difficulty  from  want  of  provisions,  I  took  my 
man  \iith  me,  and  went  and  cut  ten  sheaves  of  barley. 


FLOOD  AND  FAMINE.  69 


It  was  not  fully  ripe,  but  we  had  no  other  means  of  sub- 
sistence. We  threshed  it  and  gave  it  to  Mrs.  Cockran 
to  dry  by  the  fire,  that  it  might  be  ready  for  the  evening. 
I  then  went  and  ploughed  the  appointed  hours." 

Soon  after,  lie  says, — 

"I  spent  an  agreeable  evening  with  two  Christian 
friends.  We  beguiled  the  time  by  talking  of  our  '  Fa- 
ther's house,  where  there  are  many  mansions;'  and 
strengthened  one  another  in  the  Word  of  God,  by  freely 
communicating  the  manner  in  which  God  had  fed  us  day 
by  day  for  the  last  three  months.  We  found  He  had 
fulfilled  His  promises  to  each  of  us.  He  had,  as  it  were, 
sent  us  manna  every  morning  to  supply  our  present  wants, 
but  the  bread  of  to-morrow  we  often  knew  not  whence 
it  would  come." 

The  barley  and  potatoes,  though  from  their 
having  been  sown  so  late  they  did  not  come 
to  perfection,  yet  sufficed,  with  the  greatest 
care,  to  keep  the  mission  family  through  the 
winter  from  actual  want  of  food;  but  they 
were  subjected  to  great  privation,  and  many 
of  their  neighbors  suffered  still  more  severely. 
Some  lived  on  hazel-nuts,  some  -  obtained  an 
uncertain  subsistence  by  angling  through  holes 
cut  in  the  thick  ice,  but  many  suffered  incon- 
ceivable hardships. 


70     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

There  could,  of  course,  be  no  material  im- 
provement in  the  state  of  things  till  the  next 
harvest  (1827),  when  it  pleased  God  to  send 
them  a  fair  crop,  and  they  were  once  more, 
after  seventeen  months  of  scarcity,  able,  as  Mr. 
Cockran  expresses  it,  "  to  eat  their  bread  with- 
out weight,  and  their  potatoes  without  meas- 
ure." "We  trusted,"  he  adds,  "in  the  Lord, 
and  have  not  been  ashamed.  He  gave  us  our 
portion  of  meat  in  due  season,  and  made  it 
doubly  sweet  by  the  zest  of  a  grateful  heart." 

These  outward  trials  were  blessed  by  the 
Spirit  of  God  to  the  souls  of  many ;  the  Word 
grew  and  multiplied,  and  a  spirit  of  earnest 
inquiry  was  poured  out ;  the  churches  were 
crowded,  and  the  number  of  communicants 
continually  increased,  though  none  were  ad- 
mitted who  were  not,  as  far  as  human  judgment 
could  penetrate,  the  subjects  of  Divine  grace. 

The  language  of  many  a  heart  might  now 
have  been — 

"Father,  I  bless  Thy  gentle  hand; 

How  kind  was  that  chastising  rod, 
That  forced  my  conscience  to  a  stand, 
And  brought  my  wandering  soul  to  God  P 


FLOOD  AND  FAMINE.  71 

All  this  improvement,  however,  was  chiefly 
among  the  Europeans  and  half-breeds;  the 
native  Indians  had  scarcely  been  reached, 
though  here  and  there  the  missionaries  were 
privileged  to  admit  a  Eed  brother  or  sister  to 
the  fold  of  Christ. 

One  of  these  was  an  aged  woman  of  the 
Saskatchewan  tribe,  whose  Indian  name  was 
"Kosebud,"  from  her  youthful  beauty.  She 
had  come  from  the  north  of  Hudson's  Bay  to 
reside  with  her  daughter,  who  had  married 
a  half-breed  young  man,  one  of  the  communi- 
cants. She  worshipped  idols,  and  had  one 
special  favorite  household  god,  to  which  she 
was  devoted,  and  which  she  kept  carefully 
wrapped  in  a  piece  of  red  cloth.  She  could 
not  be  prevailed  upon  to  attend  Divine  worship 
or  to  join  her  son-in-law  and  daughter  in  their 
family  devotions,  nor  would  she  listen  to  any 
of  their  persuasions.  All  this  was  a  continual 
subject  of  sorrow  to  her  children,  who  little 
knew  that  under  this  apparent  resistance  to 
the  truth,  the  Holy  Spirit  was  secretly  carry- 
ing on  His  work  in  her  heart.  One  day  tho 


72  THE   RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

man  came  to  Mr.  Jones  to  tell  him  that,  to  his 
wife's  and  his  own  great  joy,  an  unexpected 
change  seemed  to  have  taken  place  in  the  poor 
old  woman,  and  that  she  had  sent  him  to  re- 
quest the  missionary  to  come  and  teach  her  to 
worship  the  true  God. 

Mr.  Jones  gladly  obeyed  the  summons ;  he 
found  her  in  a  very  inquiring  state  of  mind, 
and  after  due  preparation  he  baptized  her, 
"with  hair  so  gray  and  forehead  so  wrin- 
kled," yet  brought  to  Christ  at  the  eleventh 
hour.  Mr.  Jones  expressed  one  day  a  wish 
to  see  her  former  idol.  "Nay,  my  grand- 
son," was  her  reply ;  "to  hear  of  these  things 
now  pains  my  ears;  to  think  of  them  trou- 
bles my  heart ;  I  pray  you  therefore  to  pa,ss 
them  by." 

Another  interesting  case  was  that  of  a  man 
called  the  "  Cask."  He  had  heard  something 
about  the  Gospel  at  Norway  House,  and  had 
come  to  Eed  Eiver  to  get  further  instruction. 
He  built  a  dwelling  for  himself,  and  regularly 
attended  the  means  of  grace.  During  the 
winter,  he  and  his  wife,  who  was  like-minded 


FLOOD  AND  FAMINE.  73 

with  himself,  gave  a  pleasing  and  encouraging 
proof  that  the  Word  of  God  had  not  been 
declared  to  them  in  vain. 

They  had  joined  a  party  of  about  three 
hundred  people,  chiefly  Canadians,  on  one  of 
the  annual  fishing  expeditions  on  Lake  Win- 
nipeg: it  was  an  ungodly  company,  and  no 
difference  was  made  between  Sunday  and  any 
other  day.  Our  Indian  and  his  wife  had, 
however,  learnt  differently,  and  continued  to 
take  up  their  nets  on  the  Saturday  evening, 
that  they  might  observe  the  day  of  rest,  though 
by  so  doing  they  exposed  themselves  to  much 
trouble  and  risk,  as  well  as  ridicule.  Every 
Saturday,  as  soon  as  they  had  removed  their 
nets,  their  companions  invariably  took  posses- 
sion of  their  ground,  and  every  Monday  morn- 
ing they  were  obliged  to  lose  much  time  in 
seeking  for  a  fresh  spot. 

After  their  return  home,  they  continued  to 
go  on  very  satisfactorily,  and  Mr.  Cockran 
looked  forward  to  their  admission  by  baptism 
into  the  visible  church :  but  before  this  could 


74     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

be  done,  it  pleased  God  to  take  the  husband 
to  Himself,  though  not  till  lie  had  given  satis- 
factory evidence  of  his  being  a  living  member 
of  the  mystical  body  of  Christ. 


CHAPTER  IY. 

THE  GKAND  RAPIDS. 

"Establish  Thou  the  work  of  our  hands  upon  us;  yea,  the 
urork  of  our  hands  establish  Thou  it." — PSALM  xc.  17. 

THIS  was  a  very  appropriate  passage  of 
Scripture  for  our  Missionaries  as  they  pursued 
their  various  labors ;  but  more  especially 
might  it  have  been  the  language  of  Mr. 
Cockran's  heart,  when,  in  1829,  he  settled 
with  his  family  at  the  Grand  Eapids. 

This  name  had  been  given  to  a  part  of  the 
colony  several  miles  farther  down  the  river 
than  the  Upper  Settlement,  where  Mr.  Jones 
and  Mr.  Cockran  had  hitherto  resided ;  and  it 
included  a  tract  of  land  lying  about  twelve 
miles  along  the  river,  and  stretching  several 
miles  into  the  country. 

The  inhabitants  were  chiefly  half-breeds, 
with  but  few  Europeans,  and  a  still  smaller 


76  THE  KAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

number  of  Indians,  among  them.  With  a 
very  few  exceptions,  the  half-breeds  here  were, 
as  elsewhere,  scarcely  raised  above  the  In- 
dians ;  they  followed  the  same  heathen  prac- 
tices, they  pursued  the  same  mode  of  life,  and 
were,  indeed,  in  most  cases,  so  identified  with 
them,  that  it  required  an  experienced  eye  to 
distinguish  between  the  two.  At  the  Grand 
Rapids  the  chief  difference  seems  to  have 
been,  that  when  they  returned  from  their 
hunting  or  fishing  expeditions  they  could 
shelter  themselves  in  a  more  substantial  dwell 
ing  than  the  Indian  wigwam. 

There  were,  however,  a  small  number  who 
were  rising  a  little  above  this  state,  and  who 
were'  making  some  rude  attempts  at  tillage. 
But,  except  these  few  patches  of  half-culti- 
vated ground — "few  and  far  between" — the 
whole  was  a  wild,  desolate,  and  swampy  plain, 
dotted  here  and  there  with  the  miserable  log- 
houses  of  the  inhabitants,  and  too  often  re- 
sounding with  the  dismal,  discordant  noise  of 
the  conjurer's  drum. 

The  inundation  of  1826,  and  the  consequent 


THE  GBAND  BAPIDS.  77 

sufferings,  which,  had,  as  we  have  seen,  been 
blessed  to  many  of  the  people  at  the  Upper 
Settlement,  had  not  been  entirely  without 
fruit  at  this -place  also.  Several  persons  had 
beep  awakened  to  a  concern  fbr  their  souls ; 
and  Mr.  Cockran,  in  his  occasional  visits  to 
them,  was  often  cheered  by  finding  a  consider- 
able number  (sometimes  as  many  as  thirty) 
collected  together  to  receive  his  instructions. 

The  openings  for  usefulness  appeared  so 
promising,  that  it  was  arranged  that  while 
Mr.  Jones  continued  in  charge  of  the  Upper 
Settlement,  Mr.  Cockran  should  establish  him- 
self here  ;  and  accordingly,  in  the  summer  of 
1829,  he  moved  with  his  family  into  a  log- 
house  he  had  built  on  the  western  bank  of 
the  river,  about  fifteen  miles  below  the  Upper 
Church  and  Parsonage,  and  ten  miles  from 
Image  Plains. 

Everything  around  was,  as  has  been  said, 
dreary  and  uncivilized ;  the  commonest  neces- 
saries of  life  could  only  be  procured  from  the 
Parsonage  at  the  Upper  Settlement ;  and  for 
some  months  the  only  bread  they  had  was 


78     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

made  of  flour  ground  "between  two  stones  dug 
from  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  afterwards 
sifted  through  a  piece  of  parchment  pricked 
with  pin-holes. 

Mr.  Cockran  soon  saw  that,  not  only  for 
their  temporal  but  for  their  spiritual  welfare, 
it  was  of  the  utmost  importance  to  reclaim 
the  people  as  much  as  possible  from  their  wild 
and  wandering  habits,  and  to  lead  them  to 
more  settled  and  peaceful  employments.  While, 
therefore,  he  took  every  opportunity  of  de- 
claring to  them  the  Gospel  in  all  its  simplicity 
and  power,  of  endeavoring  to  lead  them  to  a 
conviction  of  sin,  and  of  the  need  of  a 
Saviour,  he  spared  no  pains,  either  by  argu- 
ment or  example,  to  induce  them  to  turn  their 
minds  to  agriculture.  He  took  a  considerable 
piece  of  land  near  his  own  house  into  cultiva- 
tion, partly  for  the  support  of  his  own  family 
and  his  future  schools,  and  partly  as  an  oppor- 
tunity of  accustoming  the  men  to  labor. 

The  difficulties  he  found  in  this  and  in  fol- 
lowing years,  in  teaching  these  people  the  use 
of  the  various  implements  of  husbandry,  can 


THE  GRAND  KAPIDS.  79 

scarcely  be  read  without  a  smile,  though  they 
must  have  been  very  trying  to  his  patience  at 
the  time.  They  would  often  throw  down  the 
hoe  or  the  spade,  declaring  they  would  use 
them  no  longer,  as  they  made  their  backs  and 
arms  so  stiff.  If  a  tree  was  to  be  felled,  they 
complained  that  the  hatchet  blistered  their 
hands.  But  the  sickle  was  their  great  trouble ; 
as  was  to  be  expected,  they  at  first  frequently 
cut  their  fingers  in  using  it ;  and  rather  than 
endeavor,  by  care  and  practice,  to  overcome 
their  awkwardness,  they  would  devise  all 
kinds  of  new  ways  of  reaping — thus  often 
losing  much  of  the  few  precious  days  of  fine 
weather,  during  which  alone  the  harvest  could 
in  that  country  be  gathered  in. 

The  only  thing  in  which  they  found  no  dif- 
ficulty was  guiding  the  plough :  the  quickness 
of  eye  they  had  acquired  by  their  early 
training  in  shooting  and  hunting  enabled 
them,  from  the  first,  to  do  that  with  ease 
which  our  English  laborers  often  are  so  long 
in  acquiring ;  and  their  furrows  were  always 
straight. 


80     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

"We  may  understand  something  of  Mr. 
Cockran's  position,  at  this  time,  by  a  passage 
in  one  of  his  letters  three  or  four  years  later: 

"  I  am  obliged  to  be  minister,  clerk,  schoolmaster,  arbi- 
trator, agricultural  director,  and  many  other  things,  to 
this  mixed  and  barbarous  people ;  and  it  is  no  sinecure. 
They  are  scattered  over  twelve  miles  of  country,  without 
roads,  full  of  swamps  and  miry  creeks,  where  in  wet 
weather  I  have  the  utmost  difficulty  in  reaching  them.  I 
have  everything  to  teach  them,  to  enter  into  all  their  per- 
sonal concerns,  to  be  a  peacemaker,  and  to  teach  them  to 
manage  their  temporal  affairs.  Wearying  as  all  this  is  to 
the  flesh,  it  is  very  beneficial  to  the  people  :  it  leads  them 
to  look  on  me  as  one  of  themselves ;  they  feel  they  can 
depend  on  my  friendship,  they  know  that  I  shall  advise 
them  only  for  their  good ;  and  this  leads  them  to  listen 
with  a  willing  ear  when  I  tell  them  of  spiritual  things." 

Mr.  Cockran  soon  began  to  see  some  results 
from  his  patient,  self-denying  labors ;  and 
though  the  people  did  not  entirely  relinquish 
their  former  mode  of  life,  yet  they  set  about 
the  cultivation  of  the  land  and  the  rearing  of 
cattle  in  good  earnest :  so  that  it  was  not  long 
before  the  whole  face  of  the  country  assumed 
a  very  improving  aspect.  The  few  bright 
months  of  summer  they  devoted  to  the  care 


THE  GRAND  RAPIDS.  81 

of  their  land ;  and  though  still  obliged  to  eke 
out  their  subsistence  by  hunting  and  fishing, 
yet,  if  their  expeditions  proved  unsuccessful, 
they  found  a  sufficient  supply  in  their  own 
farmyards  to  keep  them  from  actual  want. 

Their  spiritual  progress  kept  pace  with  their 
external  improvement ;  they  eagerly  sought 
for  religious  instruction ;  many  adults  applied 
for  baptism  ;  and  in  1831,  only  two  years  after 
his  settling  among  them,  Mr.  Cockran's  con- 
gregation had  increased  from  thirty  to  three 
hundred,  while  the  alteration  in  their  general 
habits  and  moral  conduct  bore  testimony  to 
the  reality  of  the  work  within. 

Many  of  his  present  congregation  were  In- 
dians newly  arrived  from  distant  places,  drawn 
hither  by  messages  and  invitations  from  their 
relations  among  the  half-breeds  already  settled 
here ;  and  the  description  Mr.  Cockran  gives 
of  the  way  in  which  these  poor  wanderers 
were  gathered  in  is  very  touching : — 

"  When,"  he  says,  "  I  speak  to  my  own  people  of  our 
state  by  nature,  of  a  Saviour,  of  repentance  and  faith, 
and  of  the  condition  of  the  heathen,  I  sometimes  stop, 

A 


82     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 


and  put  this  thrilling  question, c  Are  not  your  relations  in 
this  state  ?  Are  they  not  heathen  ?  Are  not  their  bodies 
perishing  for  want  of  food,  and  their  souls  for  lack  of 
knowledge  ?'  This  will  often  lead  them  to  think  about 
their  unfortunate  relations  in  the  wilderness,  whose  nura 
bers  are  diminishing  from  scarcity  and  hardships,  and 
whose  souls  are  passing  into  eternity  without  ever  hear- 
ing of  Christ,  the  only  Saviour.  They  will  tell  their 
anxiety  to  some  trusty  friend  who  is  going  to  York  Fort, 
where  he  will  meet  with  men  from  all  parts  of  this  vast 
continent.  To  some  of  them  he  communicates  the  mes- 
sages, which  pass  from  one  to  another  till  they  reach  the 
persons  to  whom  they  are  sent ;  and  these  messages  often 
induce  them  to  come  and  see  what  this  new  thing  is." 

It  was  especially  among  the  tribes  of  the 
Swampy  Crees  that  these  messages  were  lis- 
tened to  and  followed.  They  came  to  the 
settlement  from  various  places  in  the  far 
north — sometimes  a  family  or  two  together, 
sometimes  more ;  and  on  one  occasion  a  little 
fleet  of  twenty  canoes  was  seen  making  its 
way  up  the  river  on  this  voyage  of  inquiry. 
They  would  land,  pitch  their  tent  near  any 
half-breed  family  with  whom  they  could  claim 
any  relationship,  and  expect  them  to  maintain 
them  as  long  as  they  remained. 

It  was  a  hard  struggle  to  the  settlers,  who 


THE  GRAND  KAPIDS. 


were  themselves  but  just  beginning  to  reap 
the  fruit  of  their  newly-acquired  habits,  and 
were  as  yet  scarcely  able  to  raise  grain  enough 
for  their  own  consumption,  to  have  so  many 
to  support  in  addition  to  their  own  families ; 
but  their  hearts  had  been  enlarged  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,  and  so  anxious  were  they  to 
rescue  their  relations  and  fellow-countrymen 
from  the  state  of  heathenism  and  ignorance 
of  which  they  had  themselves  so  lately  expe- 
rienced the  misery,  that  they  never  discour- 
aged them,  but  would  share  with  them  their 
last  mouthful,  rather  than  that  they  should  be 
driven  by  hunger  beyond  the  sound  of  the 
Gospel.  And  their  disinterested  self-denial 
was  blessed :  it  was  very  seldom  that  any  who 
came  in  this  way  to  the  settlement  ever  left  it 
again  ;  they  applied  themselves  to  agriculture, 
listened  to  instruction,  and  in  very  many  cases 
gave  evidence  of  being  converted  to  God. 

Mr.  Cockran  could  not  but  rejoice  at  the 
gradual  improvement  he  witnessed  year  by 
year,  even  in  the  outward  condition  of  his 
people. 


84     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 


CT  Instead,"  he  writes,  "  of  seeing  some  poor  Indian  wo- 
man, in  the  depth  of  winter,  hauling  her  half-naked  chil- 
dren on  a  sledge  over  the  frozen  snow  to  some  lonely 
creek,  there  to  cut  a  hole  in  the  thick  ice,  let  down  her 
hook,  and  shivering  wait  for  hours  till  some  fish  lay  hold 
of  it  to  serve  for  their  scanty  meal, — we  now  see  her  and 
her  children  nicely  and  warmly  clothed,  with  a  buffalo- 
cloak  folded  neatly  round  them,  in  their  own  cariole, 
drawn  by  their  own  horse  or  ox,  bringing  them  to  the 
house  of  God  to  tliank  Him,  as  well  she  may,  for  all  Hia 
tejnporal  and  spiritual  mercies." 

On  Mr.  Cockran's  first  settling  at  the  Grand 
Eapids  he  had  collected  together  a  good  num- 
ber of  children,  •  and  built  a  good-sized  room 
to  serve  for  a  school ;  and  hitherto  it  had  been 
in  this  room  that  the  congregation  had  assem- 
bled for  divine  worship.  But  the  increase  in 
the  number  of  worshippers  soon  determined 
him  to  attempt  the  erection  of  a  church ;  and 
poor  as  the  people  still  were,  they  came  for- 
ward readily  to  assist  him  to  the  utmost  of 
their  power.  Great  was  his  joy  when  this 
new  witness  for  God  was  completed,  and  stood 
out  as  a  testimony  that  His  servants  had 
obtained  a  footing  here.  In  1831,  he  says : — 

14  Three  years  ago,  my  house,  school,  congregation,  and 


THE  GRAND  RAPIDS.  85 


church,  were  all  imaginary ;  the  timber  was  growing  in 
the  forests,  the  glass  and  nails  were  in  England,  and  one 
half  of  my  congregation  were  wandering  heathen,  wor- 
shipping no  God  but  profit  or  pleasure,  acknowledging  no 
Saviour,  and  knowing  no  Sabbath.  But  when  the  time 
appointed  came,  Death  and  Hell  could  no  longer  hold  their 
prisoners  :  their  jubilee  was  come — they  must  go  free ; 
and,  gathered  from  the  shores  of  almost  every  river  be- 
tween Hudson's  Bay  and  the  Rocky  Mountains,  they 
were  brought  to  this  place,  where  God  had  provided  for 
them  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation." 

Mr.  Cockran  frequently  mentions  the  regu- 
larity of  his  people's  attendance  -at  the  house 
of  God:— 

"  In  England,"  he  says,  "  it  is  a  frequent  and  painful 
remark, c  So  many  at  market  and  so  few  at  church  !'  but 
here  it  is  the  reverse.  On  week-days  you  may  travel  for 
miles,  and  not  see  a  human  face  ;  but  on  Sundays,  as  tha 
time  of  service  draws  near,  the  track  is  covered  with  old, 
and  young,  and  middle-aged,  pressing  forward  to  worship 
God  in  the  congregation.  It  never  comes  into  their  minds 
that  a  slight  cold,  or  soaking  rain,  or  a  violent  snow- 
storm, or  a  piercing  frost,  are  any  reasons  to  keep  them 
from  public  worship.  They  have  made  up  their  minds  to 
be  found  always  in  the  house  of  God,  and  hitherto  their 
strength  has  been  equal  to  their  day.  Be  the  weather 
ever  so  bad,  none  ever  stay  away  but  the  aged  and  the  sick, 
and  when  the  ground  is  too  wet  for  the  women  and  chil- 
dren to  walk,  they  are  put  into  their  little  carioles  ;  while 
the  men,  carrying  their  shoes  in  their  hand,  walk  by  their 


86     THE  KAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

side  through  mud  and  water  reaching  half-way  to  their 
knees." 

"We  shall  be  better  able  to  appreciate  this 
regularity  of  attendance  when  we  consider  the 
peculiar  nature  of  the  climate :  sometimes  in 
summer  the  thermometer  would  be  at  from 
80°  to  100°  in  the  shade,  while  in  winter  it 
was  often  30°  or  35°  below  zero,  and  occa- 
sionally even  40°. 

On  Sundays,  the  church  being  full,  the  win- 
ter cold  was  not  so  severely  felt  during  the 
time  of  service ;  but  the  external  air  congeal- 
ing the  breath  of  the  people  as  it  rose,  when 
the  fire  was  extinguished  the  ceiling  would 
be  covered  with  a  coat  of  ice,  while  the  desk, 
pulpit,  prayer-book,  and  Bible,  shone  with 
silvery  particles  of  frozen  vapor.  On  the 
week-days  in  winter,  when  the  congregation 
was  smaller,  Mr.  Cockran  describes  it  as  being, 
notwithstanding  a  good  fire  in  the  stove,  like 
"  a  temple  of  ice." 

Mr.  Cockran's  constant  intercourse  with  the 
people  during  the  week  gave  him  an  insight 
into  their  individual  character  which  he  could 


THE  GRAND  KAPIDS.  87 

not  have  obtained  in  any  other  way,  and 
which  was  particularly  valuable  to  him  when 
candidates  for  the  Lord's  Supper  presented 
themselves  to  him.  He  was  very  strict  on 
this  point,  and  would  admit  none  of  whose 
real  religious  principles  he  was  not  well  per- 
suaded, or  of  whom  the  rest  of  the  communi- 
cants could  report  any  inconsistency  in  their 
daily  walk. 

The  number  of  communicants,  however, 
continued  to  increase ;  and  although  the  natu- 
ral taciturnity  and  reserve  of  both  Indians 
and  half-breeds  prevented  him  from  enjoying 
the  communion  with  them  which  he  so  much 
desired,  yet  the  correctness  of  their  moral  con- 
duct, their  habits  of  family  devotion,  and  the 
tears  of  deep  feeling  often  drawn  forth  by  the 
services  of  the  sanctuary,  convinced  their 
faithful  pastor  that  his  labor  among  them  had 
not  been  in  vain  in  the  Lord. 

Sometimes,  too,  he  was  cheered  by  a  clearer 
manifestation  of  the  work  of  grace,  when  some 
powerful  emotion  or  an  attack  of  sickness 
would  overcome  their  natural  reserve,  and  lead 


88     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

them  to  lay  open  more  of  the  feelings  of  their 
hearts.  One  of  these  cases  was  that  of  an 
Indian  woman,  who,  with  her  husband,  had 
arrived  at  the  settlement  in  1831.  The  man 
had,  as  is  usual  among  the  Indians,  taken  two 
sisters  as  his  wives.  On  his  arrival  he  had 
pitched  his  tent  near  one  of  the  settlers  to 
whom  he  was  related,  and  by  whom  he  and 
his  family  were  for  some  time  supported. 

This  relation,  as  well  as  some  of  his  pious 
neighbors,  frequently  endeavored  to  lead  the 
minds  of  the  new-comers  to  Christianity. 
They  tried,  also,  to  show  them  the  sinfulness 
of  their  present  mode  of  life ;  and  by  degrees 
the  two  wives  became  so  deeply  impressed  with 
this,  that  they  determined  it  should  be  so  no 
longer.  It  was  decided  that  the  woman  of 
whom  we  are  speaking  should  leave  her  hus- 
band, and  reside  in  a  separate  tent,  at  some 
distance.  They  had  constantly  attended  divine 
worship,  but  had  not  sought  for  any  personal 
intercourse  with  Mr.  Cockran,  till,  a  short  time 
after  this  separation,  the  poor  woman  was 
taken  very  ill,  and  sent  for  him.  He  found 


THE  GRAND  RAPIDS.  89 


that  as  yet  she  knew  little  of  divine  truth,  but 
that  little  had  reached  her  heart ;  she  felt  its 
power,  and  desired  to  be  transformed  into  a 
new  creature.  In  her  simple  way  she  told 
him — 

"  When  I  came  here,  fifteen  months  ago,  it  was  to  hear 
about  this  new  religion,  and  I  intended  to  accept  it  if  it 
proved  as  good  as  it  was  reported.  I  came,  I  inquired : 
all  was  new,  and  astonished  me.  Oh,  I  thought,  if  I  can 
but  escape  the  bad  place,  and  obtain  the  good  one !  I 
was  told  that  I  must  put  away  my  sins,  and  believe  on 
Him  who  came  into  the  world  and  died  to  save  sinners. 
I  considered ;  I  felt  willing  to  give  up  my  Indian  ways ; 
as  I  came  to  the  knowledge  of  bad  things,  I  put  them 
away,  and  I  now  go  on  putting  them  away." 

Mr.  Cockran  had  further  conversation  with 
her,  and,  satisfied  with  her  sincerity,  yielded 
to  her  anxious  desire  and  baptized  her. 

Another  case  was  that  of  a  man  who  had 
been  living  for  some  time  at  the  Grand  Eapids, 
but  with  whom  Mr.  Cockran  had  sought  in 
vain  to  get  into  religious  conversation.  But 
on  his  visiting  him  during  a  severe  fit  of  ill- 
ness, he  seemed  to  forget  his  habitual  reserve, 
and  exclaiming,  "You  know  not  how  much 
God  strove  with  me  before  I  would  hear  him," 


90     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

proceeded  to  give  some  account  of  his  own 
conversion.  It  seems  lie  had  heard  some- 
thing of  Christianity  while  still  leading  a  life 
of  wandering,  and  had  had  many  conflicts  with 
himself  whether  or  not  he  would  listen  to  the 
word  of  God.  At  one  time  in  particular,  when 
chasing  a  moosedeer  in  vain  for  several  days, 
the  thought  occurred  to  him  that  perhaps  the 
"  Master  of  Life"  intended  to  starve  him  be- 
cause he  would  not  attend  to  His  message. 
He  set  out,  therefore,  for  the  settlement,  with 
his  wife  and  children,  determined  to  attend  the 
means  of  grace ;  but  when  he  arrived  there  he 
could  not  persuade  himself  to  enter  the  church, 
fearing  lest  he  should  be  arrested  by  an  invisi- 
ble hand ;  for  at  this  time  he  looked  on  the 
preaching  of  the  Missionaries  as  similar  to  the 
incantations  of  the  Indian  conjurers.  His 
heart  again  turned  to  the  Indian  life,  and  he 
again  set  off  with  his  family  for  the  plains. 
In  his  way  he  passed  a  spot  where  Mr.  Cockran 
was  engaged  with  a  carpenter  in  preparing 
some  work,  and  turned  aside  to  have  a  little 
talk  with  him,  with  no  other  purpose  than  to 


THE   GKAKD  RAPIDS.  91 

while  away  the  time.  The  carpenter  was  a 
pious  man,  and  the  conversation  soon  turned 
to  serious  subjects.  The  Indian  became  wea- 
ried with  this,  and  soon  left  them ;  but  what 
he  had  heard  was  not  so  easily  to  be  got  rid 
of:  it  was  as  a  nail  fastened  in  a  sure  place. 
He  could  not  sleep ;  and  at  last  his  life  became 
so  burdensome  to  him,  that  he  determined  to 
return  to  the  Grand  Bapids,  and  fix  himself 
where  he  might  hear  the  whole  of  God7s  truth. 

"  And,"  adds  Mr.  Cockran,  "  he  was  not  an  unprofitable 
hearer ;  he  became  a  true  believer,  and  brought  forth  the 
fruits  of  the  Spirit,  in  faith,  patience,  and  a  tender  con- 
science." 

There  are  many  other  instances  mentioned 
in  Mr.  Cockran's  journal  which  are  very  inter- 
esting, but  it  would  exceed  our  appointed 
limits  were  we  to  enter  upon  them  fully.  We 
shall  therefore  content  ourselves  with  selecting 
only  two  or  three,  which  in  different  ways 
show  that  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  pro- 
duces the  same  effects  on  the  heart  of  the  wild 
Indian  of  the  forest  as  upon  the  subtle,  philos- 


92     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

ophizing  Brahmin,  or  on  the  intellectual  and 
polished  European. 

One  of  these  was  a  man  who  one  day,  in 
conversation  with  his  minister,  told  him  that 
when  the  word  of  God  came  to  him  it  made 
"  his  heart  sore,"  and  the  sense  of  his  sins  was 
as  if  he  were  in  a  thick  wood,  surrounded  by 
flies,  from  which  he  could  not  get  free,  till  he 
found  the  Saviour  had  made  a  beaten  track 
by  which  he  had  escaped.  No  one  who  has 
not  been  in  that  country  can  fully  enter  into 
the  force  of  this  simile,  for  he  must  have -ex- 
perienced the  torment  of  these  insects  before 
he  can  know  the  relief  of  getting  free  from 
them.  When  passing,  in  summer,  through 
one  of  those  pathless  woods,  they  surround 
you,  bite  you,  dash  into  your  eyes,  sting  your 
face,  hands,  and  neck ;  you  inhale  them  with 
every  breath,  while  slowly  making  your  way 
among  the  trees  and  bushes.  But  if  you  for- 
tunately meet  with  a  trodden  path,  you  rush 
forward,  the  current  of  air  drives  your  enemies 
behind  you,  and  you  can  once  more  see  and 
breathe. 


THE   GRAND  RAPIDS.  93 

Another  instance  was  that  of  a  woman  whom 
Mr.  Cockran  visited  in  her  illness,  and  who, 
in  reply  to  his  questions  as  to  what  chiefly  oc- 
cupied her  thoughts  while  lying  alone  on  her 
bed  of  sickness,  mentioned  Matt.  xi.  28,  and 
John  vi.  37.  "These  words,"  she  added, 
"dwell  in  my  mind  day  and  night."  Then, 
clasping  her  hands,  with  the  tears  rolling  down 
her  cheeks,  she  exclaimed,  "  Precious  Saviour ! 
thou  art  the  best  friend  in  the  day  of  sickness !" 

The  last  case  we  shall  mention  was  a  man 
who,  finding  himself  very  near  his  end,  sent 
to  Mr.  Cockran  to  come  and  see  him.  When 
he  entered,  he  exclaimed,  "This  is  the  last 
visit  you  will  ever  pay  me.  I  know  I  shall 
soon  die,  but  I  have  no  fear :  I  have  a  fijaviour, 
a  friend  in  heaven,  who  hears  my  prayers,  who 
draws  away  my  heart  from  all  below,  even 
from  my  wife  and  children,  and  leads  it  to 
Himself.  I  have  sent  for  you  to -tell  me  all 
you  know  about  this  new  state."  Then, 
stretching  out  both  his  arms,  as  a  bird  stretch- 
ing out  its  wings  to  fly  away,  he  exclaimed, 
"  I  want  to  go  and  be  with  Him  who  has  wash- 


94:     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

ed  away  my  sins  in  His  own  blood,  and  now 
gives  me  rest  and  peace  in  the  midst  of  pain 
and  suffering."  Five  years  before,  as  we  find 
from  the  journals,  this  man  was  a  heathen! 

It  was  not  the  adults  alone  in  whom  Mr. 
Coekran  endeavored  to  awaken  a  desire  for 
useful  employment:  he  made  his  schools,  as 
far  as  he  could,  schools  of  industry ;  the  boys 
were  instructed  during  part  of  the  day  in  hus- 
bandry, carpenters1  work,  &c.,  and  the  girls 
were  taught  to  spin.  When  they  first  began, 
the  only  material  to  be  procured  in  the  coun- 
try was  buffalo's  wool,  which  is  too  short  and 
coarse  to  make  good  thread ;  but  soon  after- 
wards Governor  Simpson  conferred  a  great 
boon  upon  the  colony  by  importing  some  sheep 
from  Canada ;  and,  by  degrees,  as  these  multi- 
plied, the  girls  were  able  to  produce  a  finer 
and  more  durable  article. 

And  now,  having  brought  the  history  of 
this  station  down  to  the  year  1836,  we  must 
pause,  and  in  our  next  chapter  give  some 
more  general  information,  though  we  cannot 
leave  the  spot  till  we  have,  in  a  few  words, 


THE  GRAND  RAPIDS.  95 

placed  before  our  readers  the  change  which  had 
been  effected  there  in  the  course  of  seven  years. 

The  log-houses  of  the  Christian  part  of  the 
population  had  been  made  neat  and  comforta- 
ble dwellings,  each  with  its  little  garden  and 
farm-yard  attached  to  it;  the  once  dreary, 
swampy  plains,  were  now  covered  with  herds 
of  cattle,  or  adorned  with  waving  corn ;  a 
church,  school,  and  parsonage-house  had  been 
erected ;  and  the  din  of  the  conjurer's  rattle 
was  exchanged  for  words  of  prayer  and  songs 
of  praise.  Above  sixty  children  attended  at 
the  day-schools  ;  the  number  of  communicants 
was  nearly  seventy ;  and  his  flock,  which  was 
continually  increasing  by  the  baptism  of  adults 
from  the  remaining  heathens  in  the  settle- 
ment, now  amounted  to  six  hundred. 

The  Indian  village  had  also  been  com- 
menced, but  the  account  of  this  we  must  re- 
serve for  a  future  chapter. 

Mr.  Cockran  would  unite  with  us  in  saying, 
"  Not  unto  us,  0  Lord,  not  unto  us,  but  unto 
Thy  Name  give  the  glory,  for  Thy  mercy,  and 
for  Thy  truth's  sake." 


CHAPTER  V. 

INDIAN  SCHOOL  AND  MISSIONAEY  TRIALS. 

"  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters,  for  thou  shalt  find  it 
after  many  days." — ECCLES.  xi.  1. 

DUKING-  the  seven  years  of  gradual  im- 
provement at  the  Grand  Kapids,  of  which  we 
spoke  in  the  preceding  chapter,  Mr.  Jones 
continued  diligently  to  labor  in  his  Master's 
service,  both  at  the  Upper  Settlement  and  at 
the  Middle*  Church,  and  the  blessing  of  God 
rested  on  his  work.  But  this  portion  of  the 
field  of  labor  had  so  nearly  lost  its  direct  mis' 
swmary  character,  and  was  passing  so  almost 
entirely  into  a  pastoral  charge,  that  we  shall 
in  future  refrain  from  any  regular  account  of 
it,  and  only  refer  occasionally  to  some  of  its 
details.  Before  we  leave  it,  we  will  give  a 
few  particulars  which  will  interest  our  readers, 

One  of  these  was  the  accession  to  the  Mis- 

*  Before  called  "  Image  Plains." 


THE  INDIAN  SCHOOL.  97 

fiion  of  a  most  valuable  laborer  in  Mrs.  Jones, 
who  accompanied  her  husband,  in  1829,  on 
his  return  from  a  visit  he  paid  to  his  native 
land.  Mr.  Jones  was  thus  relieved  from  all 
secular  and  domestic  cares,  which  as  the 
household,  including  the  schools,  amounted  to 
seventy  or  eighty  persons,  were  neither  few 
nor  light.  Mrs.  Jones  also  laid  herself  out  in 
every  way  for  the  temporal  and  spiritual  bene- 
fit of  all  around  her ;  and  soon  after  her  ar- 
rival established  a  boarding-school  for  the 
daughters  of  the  higher  classes  of  the  Com- 
pany's agents,  who  had  hitherto  been  with- 
out any  opportunity  of  education.  In  this 
school  she  met  with  some  trials  and  much  en- 
couragement ;  two  instances  of  the  latter  are 
recorded  by  the  Bishop  of  Montreal  in  his 
Journal,  p.  25. 

But  it  is  the  Indian  boys'  school  that  be- 
longs more  to  our  present  subject,  that  school 
which  Mr.  West  had  established,  and  to  the 
future  effects  of  which  he  had  looked  forward 
with  so  much  hope ;  and  here  also,  though 
there  were  some  disappointments,  there  was 


98     THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

much,  very  much,  that  must  have  fulfilled  his 
most  sanguine  expectations.  We  shall  select 
a  few  of  the  cases  which  present,  more  or  less, 
some  peculiar  features. 

In  the  year  1825  Governor  Simpson  paid  a 
visit  to  the  country  west  of  the  Eocky  Moun- 
tains, where  he  found  the  Indians  in  some 
respects  similar,  but  in  others  very  superior, 
to  their  brethren  on  the  nearer  side.  The 
country  was  rich  and  productive,  the  people 
were  bold  and  warlike,  divided  into  tribes, 
and  very  jealous  of  encroachment  from  their 
neighbors,  although  well-disposed  and  friendly 
to  the  few  Europeans  scattered  here  and  there 
among  them  at  the  Company's  posts.  They 
dwell  in  villages,  and  are  very  indolent,  yet 
those  on  the  coast,  particularly  the  Cheenock 
tribe  in  the  neighborhood  of  Fort  Vancouver, 
carry  on  a  brisk  trade  with  the  neighboring 
nations,  especially  in  slaves. 

Slavery  on  the  shores  of  the  Pacific  pre- 
sents even  a  more  fearful  aspect  than  on  those 
of  the  Atlantic;  for  although  the  principal 
riches  of  the  chiefs  consist  in  the  number  of 


THE  INDIAN  SCHOOL. 


tlieir  slaves,  any  act  of  disobedience  is  pun- 
ished with  instant  death ;  and  frequently  seve- 
ral of  these  poor  creatures  are  offered  up  on 
the  grave  of  their  master. 

The  appearance  of  the  Western  Indians  is 
less  prepossessing  than  that  of  their  brethren 
on  the  east  of  the  rocky  barrier :  their  com- 
plexion is  not  so  dark,  and  they  have  even  a 
tinge  of  red  in  their  cheeks ;  but  their  black 
hair  hanging  over  their  shoulders,  their  high 
cheek-bones,  their  artificially  flattened  fore- 
heads, with  their  large  fiery  eyes  starting  as 
it  were  from  their  sockets,  give  them  an  al- 
most unearthly  expression.  In  winter  those 
who  can  obtain  articles  of  European  clothing 
choose  it  in  preference  to  their  own,  but  in 
summer  they  wear  no  clothing  at  all.  They 
are  very  eager  for  information,  especially  on 
matters  of  religion;  and  when  Governor 
Simpson  spoke  to  them  on  the  subject,  he 
found  them  not  only  favorably  disposed,  but 
earnestly  desirous  of  having  teachers  sent  to 
them,  to  lead  them  into  the  knowledge  of  the 
"Master  of  Life." 


100         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

This  report  awakened  increased  interest  in 
the  heart  of  Mr.  Jones  for  these  remote  tribes ; 
he  earnestly  longed  that  a  Mission  might  be 
established  among  them,  and  in  the  contem- 
plation of  this  exclaims  in  one  of  his  letters : 

"  I  hail  the  prospect  of  a  Mission  beyond  the  Rocky 
Mountains  with  emotions  of  the  liveliest  joy.  The  exer- 
tions of  the  Eastern  and  Western  hemispheres  seem  has- 
tening to  a  collision.  The  North- West  American  Mis- 
sionary may  soon,  perhaps,  stand  on  the  summit  of  these 
mountains,  and  stretch  forth  his  hands  towards  the  waters 
of  the  Southern  Sea  and  hail  his  brother-laborers  in  the 
Islands." 

Eager  as  Mr.  Jones's  hopes  then  were,  lie 
would  not  have  ventured  te  anticipate  the 
scene  not  long  since  witnessed  in  the  Cathe- 
dral of  Canterbury,*  when  two  Bishops,  the 
one  for  China,  the  other  for  Kupert's  Land, 
stood  side  by  side,  so  soon  to  part,  the  one  for 
the  East,  the  other  for  the  Western  hemi- 
sphere— the  waves  of  the  North  Pacific  alone 
separating,  or  rather  uniting,  their  respective 
dioceses ;  and  their  next  meeting,  perchance, 
to  be  on  Vancouver's  Island,  or  some  other 
spot  in  that  mighty  ocean. 

*  May  29th,  1849. 


THE  INDIAN  SCHOOL.  101 

But  to  return  from  this  digression  to  the  In 
dian  school. 

The  chiefs  of  these  Western  Indians,  on 
the  banks  of  the  Columbia,  had  given  an 
earnest  of  their  sincerity  in  desiring  religious 
knowledge,  by  entrusting  two  of  their  sons  to 
Governor  Simpson  to  be  brought  up  at  the 
Mission  School.  The  autumn  of  1825  saw 
them  safely  lodged  there,  and  their  general 
conduct  was  so  good,  and  their  progress  in 
Scriptural  knowledge  so  satisfactory,  that  be- 
fore Mr.  Jones's  visit  to  England  in  1828,  he 
baptized  them  by  the  names  of  Kootamey  and 
Spogan  Garry. 

During  his  absence  Mr.  Cockran  was  per- 
plexed by  their  expressing  an  earnest  wish  to. 
visit  their  own  country.  He  greatly  feared 
that  the  love  of  home  and  kindred  would  in- 
duce them  to  remain ;  and  he  knew  that  as  yet 
their  knowledge  was  too  limited,  and  their 
principles  too  unestablished,  for  them  to  be- 
come fitting  guides  to  their  own  people.  How- 
ever, he  offered  no  opposition,  but  committed 


102          TBE   RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

them  in  faith  and  prayer  to  Him  who  thus  far 
had  led  them. 

To  his  great  joy  they  returned  in  the  course 
of  a  few  months,  bringing  with  them  five  other 
boys,  four  of  whom  were  also  sons  of  chiefs, 
but  of  different  tribes,  and  speaking  dialects 
so  unlike,  that  their  only  intercourse  was  by 
signs. 

The  hopes  that  Mr.  Jones  had  formed  of 
Kootamey's  future  usefulness  were  blasted 
soon  after  his  return.  During  his  absence  he 
had  received  some  serious  injury  by  a  fall, 
from  which  he  never  recovered,  and  after 
much  suffering  he  died  on  Easter  Monday, 
1830  ;  though  not  till  he  had  given  good  evi- 
dence of  his  being  a  child  of  God,  washed  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  Mr.  Jones,  while 
watching  by  his  bedside,  was  much  affected 
by  hearing  him  frequently,  in  his  delirium, 
imagine  himself  to  be  with  his  father,  anxious- 
ly endeavoring  to  instruct  him  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  Jesus  Christ. 

His  friend,  Spogan  Garry,  continued  at  the 
school  till  1832,  when  he  returned  to  his  own 


THE  INDIAN  SCHOOL.  103 

people.  He  was  well  instructed  in  divine 
truth,  and  although  Mr.  Jones  saw  in  him  no 
evidence  of  a  change  of  heart,  he  hoped  that 
his  residence  among  his  friends  might  at  all 
events  awaken  in  them  a  spirit  of  inquiry. 

He  heard  nothing  of  him  for  several  years, 
till,  in  1836rhe  found  by  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Finlayson,  the  gentleman  in  charge  of  Fort 
Vancouver,  that  he  spent  great  part  of  his 
time  in  instructing  his  people,  who  were  so 
anxious  to  hear  him  that  they  brought  pres- 
ents of  various  kinds,  and  indeed  seem  to 
have  maintained  him  in  Indian  abundance. 

To  Mr.  Jones's  surprise  and  gratification,  he 
also  found  from  the  same  letter  that  during 
the  visit  of  Spogan  Garry  and  Kootamey  in 
1828,  these  two  lads  took  great  pains  in  in- 
structing their  friends  in  as  much  as  they 
themselves  knew  of  the  truths  of  the  Bible ; 
that  they  were  listened  to  with  the  greatest 
attention ;  that  they  prevailed  on  some  of  them 
to  observe  the  Sabbath-day;  and  that  this 
little  band  on  the  banks  of  the  Columbia 
had  remained  faithful  to  their  young  teachers, 


104          THE  RAINBOW  IN   THE   NORTH. 

and  still  continued  to  keep  the  Lord's  day 
lioly. 

The  anxiety  of  these  poor  people  for  in- 
struction was  so  great,  that  Mr.  Finlayson 
speaks  of  his  having  been  told  that  at  the 
time  the  Government  expresses  were  expected 
to  pass  Colville  House,  they  would  send  mes- 
sengers to  inquire  if  any  "new  doctrines  had 
arrived." 

"  I  had  myself,"  he  says,  "  a  striking  instance  of  this 
spirit  of  inquiry  among  them.  I  had  one  day  taken  my 
situation  on  an  elevated  spot  near  the  Kettle  Fall,  not  far 
from  Colville  House,  that  I  might  overlook  the  men  who 
were  carrying  the  baggage,  and  was  occasionally  glancing 
at  a  book  in  my  han<J,  when  my  attention  was  attracted 
by  the  voice  of  a  man  who  was  approaching  me,  and 
haranguing  me  with  increasing  animation  as  he  drew 
nearer  and  nearer,  while  with  passionate  gestures  he 
pointed  alternately  to  the  sun  and  to  the  book  in  my  hand. 
I  knew  not  his  language,  but  I  could  evidently  gather 
from  his  action  that  he  thought  I  could  give  him  informa- 
tion on  religious  subjects.  I  could  only  answer  him  by 
signs,  and,  afraid  of  conveying  erroneous  impressions,  I 
made  him  understand  that  Spogan  Garry  was  at  Colville. 
He  repeated  the  name  two  or  three  times,  as  if  to  satisfy 
himself  that  he  had  caught  my  meaning,  and  darted  off 
towards  the  place  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning.  I  am 
convinced  that  a  man  of  piety,  who  knew  something  of 


THE  INDIAN  SCHOOL.  105 


the  language  of  these  poor  people,  and  devoted  himself  to 
their  instruction,  would  soon  obtain  an  unbounded  influ- 
ence over  them,  and  might  expect  a  rich  and  abundant 
harvest.  I  do  not  know  any  part  of  America  where  the 
natives  could  be  so  easily  instructed  as  on  the  banks  of 
the  Columbia. 

"  Here  then,"  adds  Mr.  Jones,  "  are  regions  far  beyond 
us  in  total  darkness,  stretching  out  their  hands  toward  us ; 
and  yet  we  cannot  meet  them.  There  is,  it  is  true,  in  this 
vast  wilderness,  a  small  vineyard  ;  there  are  three  roofs* 
pointing  to  heaven,  and  their  congregations  singing  to- 
gether the  triumphs  of  the  cross  ;  but  what  is  this  ?  It  is 
but  the  oasis  of  the  desert,  scarcely  enough  to  relieve  the 
sickening  eye  of  the  beholder  as  he  surveys  the  immense 
region  of  darkness  and  of  misery." 

It  was  about  this  time  (1836)  that  the  Amer- 
icans established  a  Mission  in  this  distant 
wilderness, — the  Rev.  J.  Lee  was  stationed 
on  the  Wallamattee,  Dr.  Whitman  at  Walla 
Walla,  and  the  Rev.  H.  Spalding  at  Koskoos- 
ka  (or  Sabnon  River),  150  miles  higher  up  the 
Columbia.  They  found  the  chiefs  and  people 
very  friendly ;  Mrs.  Spalding  had  no  difficulty 
in  collecting  150  children  of  various  ages  for 
her  school ;  and  as  soon  as  Mr.  Spalding  was 
able  to  give  them  a  little  religious  instruction, 
*  Upper  and  Middle  Churches  and  Grand  Rapids. 


106         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

he  found  them  so  eager  on  the  subject  thai 
they  would  sometimes  spend  whole  nights  in 
imparting  to  others  what  they  themselves  had 
learnt  from  him. 

We  learn  from  other  sources  that  the  Amer- 
icans were  induced  to  establish  this  Mission 
by  a  deputation  of  Indians,  sent  to  St.  Louis 
from  this  western  country  to  inquire  more 
particulars  about  the  religion  of  the  "white 
men,"  and  to  request  that  teachers  might  be 
sent ;  and  there  seems  little  or  no  doubt  that 
the  message  came  from  some  of  those  very 
people  who  had  been  awakened  to  a  concern 
for  their  souls  by  the  yisit  of  thege  two  youths, 
or  perhaps  more  recently  by  Spogan  Garry's 
residence  among  them. 

This  persuasion  is  confirmed  by  a  letter  from 
one  of  the  Missionaries  to  Mr.  Jones  in  1837, 
in  which  he  mentions  his  surprise  on  his  first 
going  among  them  at  finding  a  large  body  of 
"  Spogan  Indians"  in  some  degree  enlightened 
as  to  religious  truth,  and  adds  that  they  had 
an  efficient  interpreter,  who  had  been  educated 
at  Eed  Eiver  (doubtless  Spogan  Garry  himself), 


THE  INDIAN  SCHOOL.  107 

and  that  lie  had  enjoyed  with  them  "  a  real 
Bethel  in  the  woods." 

Cayouse  Halket  was  the  name  of  another  boy 
at  the  Indian  school,  who  had  come  thither 
from  beyond  the  Eocky  Mountains.  He  was 
a  pleasing,  thoughtful  lad,  and  gave  prom- 
ise of  future  usefulness.  He  visited  his 
friends  on  the  Columbia  Eiver  in  1834,  but 
not  being  able  to  reconcile  himself  to  their 
mode  of  life  he  returned  to  reside  with  Mr. 
Cockran,  to  whom  he  made  himself  very  useful 
in  various  ways.  He  was  always  diligent  in 
his  work,  and  passed  his  leisure  time  in  read- 
ing the  Bible  or  some  religious  book.  Mr. 
Cockran  thought  very  highly  of  him  in  every 
way,  and  among  other  things  employed  him 
in  endeavoring  to  teach  the  Saulteaux  Indians 
at  the  Lower  Encampment  (of  whom  we  shall 
hereafter  have  occasion  to  speak)  to  cultivate 
the  ground ;  and  although,  after  working  hard 
for  them  all  the  day,  they  would  behave  inso- 
lently to  him,  and  even  refuse  to  give  him  any 
food,  yet  we  hear  of  no  complaints  from 


108         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

nor  of  any  unwillingness  to  continue  his  labors 
for  them. 

After  having  been  with  Mr.  Cockran  about 
two  years  he  began  to  droop,  and  his  watchful 
friend,  finding  from  the  doctor  there  was  no 
specific  disease,  feared  he  must  be  under  the 
influence  of  that  peculiar  complaint  incident 
to  young  Indians  who  apply  themselves  to  the 
arts  of  civilized  life,  and  which  the  Indians 
themselves  call  "  thinking  long."  The  patient 
loses  his  strength  and  spirits  without  any  ap- 
parent  cause ;  medical  aid  is  of  no  avail ;  no 
endeavors  to  amuse  or  rouse  him  have  any 
effect,  and  he  gradually  sinks  into  the  grave 
without  any  specific  disease. 

It  was  too  surely  the  case  with  poor  Cayouse. 
Mr.  Cockran  used  every  means  to  avert  the 
danger,  he  made  him  his  almost  constant  com- 
panion, and  sent  him  to  visit  various  friends 
in  the  neighborhood.  But  it  was  all  in  vain, 
nothing  succeeded  in  restoring  his  strength, 
or  in  removing  the  strong  impressions  of  ap- 
proaching death.  He  lingered  for  some  weeks, 
and  suddenly  died  when  on  a  visit  to  one  of 


- 


THE  INDIAN  SCHOOL.  109 

__ -. 

his  friends.  "Pious,  obedient,  and  faithful, " 
Mr.  Cockran  deeply  felt  his  loss. 

Another  of  these  Indian  scholars  was  Colon 
Leslie,  an  Esquimaux  from  Fort  Churchill.  He 
had  learnt  reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic; 
and  the  school  being  at  this  time  removed  to 
the  Grand  Eapids,  he  was  there  taught  hus- 
bandry and  carpenters'  work.  He  was  a  very 
promising  youth,  and  Mr.  Cockran  looked  for- 
ward to  his  being  very  useful  at  the  Indian 
Village ;  but  in  the  spring  of  1835  his  health 
declined,  and  he  was  soon  after  attacked  with 
influenza,  which  was  at  that  time  very  preva- 
lent in  the  colony.  During  his  illness  he  gave 
satisfactory  evidence  of  being  taught  of  God. 

At  one  time  he  was  in  great  concern  for  his 
own  soul,  and  for  the  spiritual  state  of  his 
parents,  who  were  still  at  Fort  Churchill.  He 
wrestled  earnestly  in  prayer  to  God  for  them 
and  for  himself,  and  on  one  occasion,  when  the 
distress  of  his  mind  was  very  great,  he  sent  for 
Mr.  Cockran  in  the  night,  when  the  following 
conversation  passed  between  them : — 

Mr.  Cockran :  "  Leslie,  what  is  it  that  so  distresses 


110         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 


you?"  Leslie:  "Sir,  I  am  thinking  about  ray  poor 
parents ;  they  have  never  heard  that  Jesus  Christ  came 
into  the  world  to  save  sinners :  what  will  become  of  them 
if  they  never  hear  of  Him !  Oh,  write  to  them,  and  tell 
them  that  Christ  will  save  them  from  everlasting  punish- 
ment if  they  believe  in  Him."  Mr.  Cockran  replied  : 
"  Write  yourself,  that  will  be  much  better ;  for  if  I  write 
they  will  say  it  is  I  that  speak,  not  you."  "  I  cannot 
write,"  he  exclaimed ;  "  see  how  my  hands  shake !" 
"  Why,"  asked  Mr.  Cockran,  "  have  you  not  written  to 
them  long  ago  ?"  His  answer  is  very  affecting  :  "  I  did 
not  then  think  of  the  value  of  my  soul ;  it  is  only  since  I 
'began  to  feel  myself  a  miserable  sinner,  and  to  pray  in 
earnest  for  mercy  to  myself,  that  I  have  become  anxious 
about  them.  When  I  saw  the  wickedness  of  my  own 
heart,  and  felt  there  was  no  hope  for  me  but  through 
Christ,  then  the  miserable  state  of  my  parents  came  to  my 
•mind.  What  will  they  do  if  they  never  hear  of  Christ  ?" 

After  this  the  poor  fellow  appeared  to  be 
recovering,  but  one  day  when  Mr.  Cockran 
was  writing  in  his  study,  the  servant  ran  in  to 
say  that  Leslie  was  suddenly  taken  worse,  and 
before  he  could  reach  the  sick-room  the  ran- 
eomed  spirit  had  fled. 

The  history  of  Jack  Spense  has  appeared 
more  than  once  in  the  publications  of  the 
Church  Missionary  Society,  but  the  lustre  of 
divine  grace  in  this  poor  Indian  youth  shone 


THE  INDIAN  SCHOOL.  Ill 

so  brightly  as  his  life  drew  near  its  close,  that 
our  "bow  of  heaven"  would  be  incomplete 
without  some  short  record  of  him. 

He  was  a  native  of  Port  Nelson  Eiver,  and 
had  come  to  Eed  Eiver  in  1824,  where  he  was 
received  into  the  Indian  school,  and  remained 
in  it  for  several  years.  We  are  not  told  what 
became  of  him  after  he  left  school,  though 
probably  he  was  employed  in  some  inferior 
capacity  in  the  Company's  service.  In  the 
summer  of  1836  Mr.  Jones  heard  that  he  had 
returned  to  the  neighborhood,  and  was  very 
ill.  He  went  immediately  to  see  him,  and 
found  him  dying  of  consumption,  and  in  the 
lowest  state  of  poverty  and  destitution.  He 
was  with  two  old  Indians  in  a  small  birch-rind 
hut,  with  nothing  but  a  few  fern -leaves  under 
him,  and  an  old  blanket  over  him,  which  was 
in  a  condition  not  to  be  described.  As  soon 
as  Mr.  Jones  had  recovered  from  his  astonish- 
ment he  expressed  his  surprise  at  seeing  him 
in  this  state,  and  his  regret  that  he  had  not 
sooner  known  about  him.  The  poor  boy 
replied, — 


112         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 


"  It  is  very  little  I  want  now,  and  these  poor  people  get 
it  for  me ;  but  I  should  like  something  softer  to  lie  upon, 
as  my  bones  are  very  sore." 

Mr.  Jones  then  inquired  as  to  the  state  of 
his  mind  :  to  which  he  answered  that  he  was 
very  happy ;  that  JESUS  CHRIST,  the  Lord  of 
glory,  had  died  to  save  him,  and  that  he  had 
perfect  confidence  in  Him.  Observing  a  small 
Bible  under  the  corner  of  his  blanket,  Mr. 
Jones  said,  "Jack,  you  have  a  friend  there; 
I  am  glad  to  see  that :  I  hope  you  find  good 
from  it."  Weak  as  the  poor  fellow  was,  he 
raised  himself  on  his  elbow,  held  it  in  his  al- 
most skeleton  hand,  while  a  smile  played  on 
his  countenance  as  he  said — 

"  This,  sir,  is  my  dear  friend.  You  gave  it  to  me  when 
we  all  went  down  to  live  at  Mr.  Cockran's.  For  a  long 
time  I  have  read  it  much,  and  often  thought  of  what  it 
told  me.  Last  year  I  went  to  see  my  sister  across  Lake 
Winnepeg"  (about  200  miles  off)  "  where  I  remained  two 
months.  When  I  was  half-way  back  through  the  lake,  I 
remembered  that  I  had  left  my  Bible  behind  me :  I  direct- 
ly turned  round,  and  was  nine  days  by  myself  tossing  to 
and  fro  in  the  canoe  before  I  could  reach  the  place  :  but  I 
found  my  friend,  and  determined  I  would  not  part  with  it 
again ;  and  ever  since  that  it  has  beer  near  my  breast. 


THE  INDIAN  SCHOOL.  113 

And  I  thought  I  should  have  it  buried  with  me,  but  I 
have  thought  since  that  I  had  better  give  it  to  you  when  I 
am  gone,  and  it  may  do  some  ore  else  good." 

He  was  often  interrupted  by  his  cough,  and 
when  he  had  finished,  sunk  down  exhausted 
with  the  effort  of  speaking.  Mr.  Jones  read 
and  prayed  with  him,  the  hut  scarcely  allow- 
ing him  room  to  kneel  upright.  It  was  an  af- 
fecting and  a  memorable  scene,  as  the  evening 
sun  poured  its  rays  through  the  holes  in  the 
bark  with  which  the  hut  was  covered,  and 
lighted  up  the  countenance  of  the  dying  youth. 
Mr.  Jones  lost  no  time  in  supplying  him  with 
every  comfort  he  needed,  but  his  time  was 
come,  and  in  a  few  days  after  this  conversa- 
tion he  was  taken  from  sin  and  suffering,  and 
his  remains  were  laid  among  the  "clods  of 
the  valley,  there  to  await  the  sound  of  the 
trumpet  that  shall  summon  the  dead  from 
their  graves." 

Of  many  of  the  companions  of  these  youths 

we  have  no  record  whatever,  but  of  others 

who  are  still  alive,  and  are  permitted  to  labor 

in  the  LORD'S  vineyard,  we  shall  have  more 

8 


114         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

to  say  hereafter.  We  will  therefore  now  re- 
turn to  the  more  general  affairs  of  the  Mis- 
sion, and  mention  that  during  this  period 
most  of  the  Indians  who  had  been  converted 
by  the  instrumentality  of  Mr.  Jones  had  left 
the  Upper  Settlement  and  joined  their  friends 
at  the  Indian  Village. 

The  year  1836  was  one  of  deep  and  varied 
trial.  Towards  the  end  of  August,  just  as  the 
crops  were  ripening,  a  severe  frost  destroyed 
all  the  garden  seeds  and  seriously  injured  the 
corn  and  potatoes;  the  buffalo-hunters,  too, 
returned  once  more  with  empty  carts ;  and 
though  the  Missionaries  had  a  sufficient  store 
from  the  produce  of  the  preceding  year  to 
prevent  their  anticipating  for  themselves  and 
their  families  the  same  autual  want  of  food 
which  they  had  experienced  ten  years  before, 
yet  they  felt  for  their  suffering  people,  know- 
ing that  all  the  self-denial  they  could  exercise 
would  avail  but  little  to  relieve  the  wants  of 
BO  many. 

"Those,"  they  say,  "who  have  their  wants  supplied 
from  a  regular  market,  replenished  with  abundance  of 


THE  INDIAN  SCHOOL.  115 


home  and  foreign  produce,  cannot  fully  feel  how  severe 
this  calamity  is  to  us.  Separated  from  civilized  society 
by  thousands  of  miles  of  trackless  wastes,  surrounded  by 
savage  and  improvident  tribes,  who  never  think  of  sup- 
plying a  want  till  it  is  felt, — when  the  produce  of  our 
own  industry  fails,  where  can  we  look  for  help  ?" 

But  this  was  not  the  only  privation  to 
which  our  Missionaries  were  subjected  in  this 
trying  year. 

The  boats  had,  as  usual,  started  early  in 
June  for  York  Fort,  to  take  up  the  furs  col- 
lected during  the  winter  at  the  differentjosts, 
and  to  bring  back  the  accustomed  supplies 
from  England.  The  return  of  these  boats 
was  always  looked  forward  to  with  intense  in- 
terest. 

"  When  we  have  passed,"  writes  Mr.  Cockran  to  the 
Secretary,  "  a  long  winter  in  solitude,  and  mixed  only 
with  barbarians,  or  with  half-civilized  men,  who  have  no 
European  feelings  or  habits,  seeing  everything  and  every 
person  about  us  so  different  from  all  we  have  been  accus- 
tomed to,  we  can  scarcely  persuade  ourselves  that  we  are 
part  of  the  human  family.  But  when  we  receive  our 
supplies  and  letters  from  England,  and  realize  from  the 
tenderness  of  their  expressions  that  our  friends  there 
sympathize  with  us.  and  pray  for  us,  we  are  reminded  of 
our  union  with  the  Church  of  God.  Our  souls  revive,  our 


116         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

• 

strength  is  renewed,  we  take  our  harps  from  the  willowi 
and  tune  them  again  to  notes  of  praise." 

We  can  well  picture  to  ourselves  the 
anxious  hopes  and  fears  that  would  occupy 
the  minds  of  our  friends  as  the  usual  time  of 
the  return  of  the  boats  drew  near ;  but  now 
day  after  day  passed,  and  still  no  boats  ap- 
peared— week  after  week,  and  still  no  boats. 
At  length  they  arrived,  but  it  was  only  to  say 
that,  after  waiting  as  long  as  it  was  safe  to  do 
so,  on  account  of  the  rivers  being  closed  by 
ice,  they  had  returned  empty,  for  that  no  ships 
had  reached  York  Fort.  It  subsequently  ap- 
peared that  the  vessels,  after  having  been  en- 
tangled by  icebergs  at  the  entrance  of  the  bay, 
had  neared  the  shore  much  later  than  usual, 
but  before  they  could  be  unloaded  had  been 
driven  off  by  contrary  winds,  and  after  en- 
countering tremendous  storms,  were  obliged 
to  return  with  their  cargoes  to  England.  The 
mail-bags  had,  however,  with  difficulty  been 
put  ashore ;  and,  after  a  delay  of  some  weeks, 
the  Missionaries  had  the  unexpected  joy  of 
getting  their  letters,  though  they  had  to  wait 


THE  INDIAN  SCHOOL.  117 

another  year  for  the  supply  of  all  their  other 
wants.  They  were  in  consequence  reduced  to 
great  straits ;  but,  says  Mr.  Cockran,  "  We  have 
our  Bible  left!" 

The  health,  too,  of  both  Mr.  Jones  and  Mr. 
Cockran  had  suffered  considerably  from  the 
climate  and  from  their  indefatigable  labors, 
and  during  the  earlier  part  of  this  year  they 
were  several  times  laid  low  with  attacks  of 
serious  illness. 

But  neither  the  destructive  frosts  of  the 
summer  nor  the  disappointed  hopes  of  the 
autumn,  nor  even  the  partial  failure  of  health, 
could  touch  the  little  missionary  band  so 
keenly  as  the  almost  sudden  death  of  Mrs. 
Jones,  in  October  of  the  same  eventful  year. 

Gentle  and  unassuming,  full  of  peace  and 
love  to  God  and  man,  she  had  won  the  hearts 
of  all,  while  her  quiet  energy  enabled  her  to 
conduct  the  whole  affairs  of  the  missionary 
establishment  without  throwing  any  part  of 
the  burden  on  her  husband.  Never  did  the 
death  of  any  Missionary's  wife  leave  a  greater 
blank  in  the  sphere  she  occupied,  nor  was 


118         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

there  ever  a  deeper  and  more  affectionate  sor- 
row manifested  than  by  the  numbers  who  at- 
tended her  funeral.  All  felt  they  had  lost  a 
mother,  but  Mr.  Jones,  now  left  with  fivo 
small  children,  was  almost  overwhelmed ;  and 
though,  in  the  midst  of  his  distress,  he  could 
say  from  his  heart,  "  Good  is  the  Lord,  and  I 
can  still  trust  Him,"  yet  he  found  the  care  of 
his  children,  of  the  schools,  and  congrega- 
tions, too  much  for  his  enfeebled  health ;  and, 
in  August,  1838,  bade  adieu  to  the  scenes  of 
his  joys,  and  sorrows,  and  labors,  for  the  last 
fifteen  years. 


Interior  of  an  Indian  Tent  on  the  Red  River. 

Rainbow  in  the  North. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   INDIAN  VILLAGE. 

"Behold,  the  husbandman  waiteth  for  the  precious  fruit 
of  the  earth,  and  hath  long  patience  for  it,  until  he  receive 
the  early  and  latter  rain." — ST.  JAMES,  v.  7. 

EAKLY  in  the  spring  of  1833  Mr.  Cockran 
stood  on  a  point  of  land  formed  by  a  sharp 
bend  of  the  river,  thirteen  miles  below  his  own 
dwelling  at  the  Eapids,  and  as  he  surveyed 
the  scene  before  him  his  mind  was  occupied 
with  thoughts  of  the  misery  of  the  Indians  and 
with  plans  for  their  relief.  All  was  a  dreary 
waste ;  the  sweep  of  the  river  had  formed  a 
kind  of  bay,  the  shore  of  which  was  lined  with 
wood  and  tangled  thicket  that  had  never  yet 
been  disturbed  by  the  hand  of  man,  while  one 
solitary  wigwam  on  the  margin  of  the  frozen 
stream,  with  its  wretched-looking  owner  break- 
ing through  the  ice  and  fishing  for  his  scanty 


120         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

meal,  rather  added  to,  than  relieved,  the  deso- 
lation that  reigned  around. 

In  October,  1835,  he  again  stood  on  the  same 
spot,  and  thus  records  the  change  which,  by 
God's  blessing,  two  years  and  a  half  of  un- 
wearying toil  had  wrought : — 

"Now,  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  I  see  the 
village  standing  along  the  crescent  bay ;  twenty-three  little 
white-washed  cottages  are  shining  through  the  trees,  each 
with  its  column  of  smoke  curling  to  the  skies,  and  each 
with  its  stacks  of  wheat  and  barley.  Around  them  lie 
various  patches  of  cultivated  ground ;  here  and  there  pigs 
are  seen  busily  seeking  for  their  food,  cows  are  lowing 
for  their  calves,  while  in  the  centre  stands  the  school- 
house,  where  sixty  merry  children,  'just  let  loose  from 
school,'  are  leaping,  running,  or  wrestling ;  and  all  is  life 
and  cheerfulness.  It  is,"  continues  he,  "  but  a  speck  in 
the  wilderness,  and  a  stranger  might  despise  it ;  but  we 
who  know  the  difficulties  that  have  attended  the  work,  can 
truly  say  that  God  hath  done  great  things,  were  it  only 
that  those  sheaves  of  corn  have  been  raised  by  hands  that 
hitherto  had  only  been  exercised  in  deeds  of  blood  and 
cruelty  to  man  and  beast." 

It  will  be  the  object  of  the  few  following 
pages  to  relate  the  steps  which  led  to  this 
res-ult,  and  to  trace  (though  faintly)  the  history 
of  one  of  the  most  encouraging  instances  on 


THE  INDIAN  VILLAGE.  121 

record  of  the  blessing  bestowed  upon  strong 
faith,  prayerful  hope,  and  persevering  love. 

The  intercourse  that  Mr.  Jones  and  Mr. 
Cockran  had  with  those  Indians  who  had  from 
time  to  time  joined  their  respective  congrega- 
tions, convinced  them  that  the  only  effectual 
mode  of  permanently  benefiting  this  people 
was  by  forming  an  exclusively  Indian  settle- 
ment, where  the  peculiarities  of  their  minds 
and  habits  could  more  freely  develop  them- 
selves, and  be  more  effectually  directed,  than 
when  dwelling  among  a  mixed  population. 

They  foresaw  many  and  great  difficulties  in 
this  plan,  but  they  resolved  to  attempt  it ;  and 
having  obtained  permission  from  England,  Mr. 
Cockran  undertook  to  begin  the  work. 

The  chief  difficulties  arose  from  the  charac- 
ter and  habits  of  the  Indians  themselves. 
Sunk  as  they  were  in  the  scale  of  society,  their 
pride  and  self-sufficiency  almost  exceeded  be- 
lief The  arts  of  civilization,  especially  of 
husbandry,  were  looked  upon  by  them  as 
derogatory  to  the  free  unfettered  Eed  man, 
and  only  fit  for  degraded  Europeans ;  and  they 


122         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

turned  with  disdain  and  strong  aversion,  not 
only  from  the  religion  of  the  white  man,  but 
from  all  his  modes  of  life. 

Even  in  those  cases  where  this  prejudice 
had  in  some  measure  given  way,  there  were 
other  difficulties  to  contend  with,  in  their  ig- 
norance of  every  art,  in  their  utter  helplessness 
and  indifference. 

"When,"  says  Mr.  Cockran,  "  the  Indian  steps  on  shore 
from  his  birch-rind  canoe,  his  blanket  thrown  over  his 
naked  shoulders,  in  one  hand  his  gun,  with  which  to  pro- 
cure his  next  meal,  and  on  his  other  arm  a  small  hatchet 
with  which  to  cut  the  poles  for  his  tent,  followed  by  his 
family  as  peeled  as  himself— a  few  pieces  of  birch-rinu 
for  their  tent,  and  a  kettle  to  cook  their  food,  constituting 
the  whole  of  their  property ; — if  such  a  man  even  wishes 
to  change  his  habits,  how  is  he  to  do  it  ?  He  has  neither 
knowledge  nor  implements  of  husbandry,  nor  power  of 
obtaining  either.  All  must  be  gratuitously  bestowed  UDOL 
them,  if  we  would  locate  them ;  and  we  must  locate  them 
before  we  can  preach  the  Gospel  to  them.* 

A  still  more  serious  obstacle  to  the  improve 

*  It  must  not  be  supposed  that  Mr.  Cockran  held  the 
erroneous  opinion  that  civilization,  in  itself,  in  any  degree 
facilitated  the  reception  of  the  Gospel,  but  the  case  of  the 
Red  Indian  was  a  peculiar  one  and  required  a  peculiar 
course  of  proceeding. 


THE  INDIAN  VILLAGE.  123 

ment  of  the  Indians  arose  from  their  almost 
universal  habits  of  intoxication.  "  Fire-watlr" 
had  been  but  too  freely  supplied  to  them  in 
exchange  for  their  furs,  and  though  about  this 
time  the  authorities  forbade  the  sale  of  it  at 
Ked  Eiver,  the  system  was  openly  carried  on 
at  other  places,  and  clandestinely  even  there. 

But  Mr.  Cockran's  mind  and  energies  were 
only  quickened  by  difficulties,  and  early  in 
1830  he  began  to  take  measures  for  the  ac- 
complishment of  his  long-cherished  scheme. 

Between  the  Eapids  and  the  Lake  lay  a  con- 
siderable tract  of  country,  called  the  Indian 
Eeserves,  belonging  to  a  portion  of  the  Saul- 
teaux  tribe ;  and  it  was  on  some  spot  within 
those  limits  that  Mr.  Cockran  desired  to  form 
the  settlement. 

The  consent  of  Pigwys,  the  chief,  must  first, 
however,  be  obtained ;  and  this  was  no  easy 
matter,  for,  naturally  enough,  the  Indians  are 
very  jealous  of  any  encroachment  on  their 
lands,  or  on  their  liberty :  they  could  neither 
understand  nor  believe  the  possibility  of  dis- 
interested kindness ;  and  they  had  no  feeling 


124         THE   EAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

of  sin,  or  fear  of  eternal  misery,  that  would 
make  them  desire  the  Gospel,  for  its  own  sake. 

"  In  vain,"  writes  Mr.  Cockran,  "  do  we  stand  and  cry, 
1  Come,  ye  thirsty,  and  drink  !'  for  the  heathen  thirst  not; 
in  vain  do  we  invite  them  to  buy  pardoning  mercy  and 
renewing  grace  without  money  and  without  price,  for  they 
feel  not  the  want  of  either.  I  do  not,  therefore,  intend  to 
go  to  Pigwys  and  his  tribe  with  the  proposal  of  instruct- 
ing them — this  would  be  useless.  They  think  themselves 
much  wiser  than  we  are,  and  when  they  intend  to  com- 
pliment us,  they  will  tell  us  we  are  almost  as  wise  and 
as  good  as  an  Indian.  So  I  lay  wisdom  and  goodness  aside, 
for  I  have  found  from  six  years'  experience  that  making 
pretensions  to  these  will  not  obtain  the  desired  end.  The 
Indian  thinks  himself  cheated  always  and  by  every  one4 
and  to  offer  religion  to  him  for  its  own  sake  and  his  soul's 
sake  only  raises  new  suspicions.  My  only  hope  of  suc- 
cess is  to  induce  them  to  settle  for  their  own  temporal 
benefit,  and  at  the  same  time  to  preach  to  them  the  glad 
tidings  of  a  Saviour's  love." 

Mr.  Cockran  had  several  conversations  with 
the  chief,  but  without  success.  It  was  in  vain 
that  he  represented  to  him  the  advantages  of 
settling,  the  greater  certainty  of  food,  and  a 
warm  habitation  for  the  winter ;  that  he  prom- 
ised to  come  himself  and  help  him,  to  supply 
him  with  implements,  and  to  build  a  house  for 


THE  INDIAN  VILLAGE.  125 

Mm.  The  old  man  still  objected,  giving  as 
his  chief  reason  that  if  they  forsook  the  cus- 
toms of  their  ancestors,  and  laid  aside  their 
"medicine,"  their  drums,  and  their  conjura- 
tions,  the  Master  of  Life  would  be  angry  with 
them,  and  would5  not  prosper  them  in  their 
hunting  and  fishing  expeditions. 

It  was  strange  that  the  unsoundness  of  this 
reason  did  not  strike  him,  as  it  was  several 
times  brought  forward  on  some  of  his  frequent 
visits  to  Mr.  Cockran's  house  to  beg  from  him 
some  food  for  his  family,  especially  for  meal 
to  thicken  their  musk-rat  soup ! 

Sometimes  these  conversations  took  place 
at  the  chief's  own  abode,  and  Mr.  Cockran 
thus  describes  one  of  his  visits  there : — 

"  The  lower  part  of  his  miserable  tent  was  formed  of 
birch-rind,  and  the  upper  part  of  long  grass.  Five  young 
children — dirty,  and  almost  naked — sat  round  a  small  fire 
in  the  middle,  the  smoke  of  which  filled  the  tent.  His 
eldest  daughter  was  boiling  a  kettle  of  soup  made  of 
haws  and  water,  having  failed  in  procuring  anything 
more  substantial." 

It  was  rather  a  favorable  opportunity  to 
press  the  subject  of  cultivation,  for  Pigwys 
7 


126          THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

complained  of  having  been  very  -unsuccessful 
during  the  autumn,  and  of  being  three  hundred 
rats  in  debt,  and  seemed  half  inclined  to  try 
some  new  experiment. 

But  he  could  not  quite  'conquer  his  preju- 
dices, and,  speaking  of  the  altered  condition 
of  the  Indians  since  the  white  man  had  ap- 
peared among  them,  exclaimed — 

"  Before  you  whites  came  to  trouble  the  ground,  our 
rivers  were  full  of  fish  and  our  woods  of  deer ;  our  creeks 
abounded  in  beavers,  and  our  plains  were  covered  with 
buffaloes.  But  now  we  are  brought  to  poverty.  Our 
beavers  are  gone  forever,  our  buffaloes  are  fled  to  the 
lands  of  our  enemies,  the  number  of  our  fish  is  diminished, 
our  cats  and  our  rats  are  few  in  number,  the  geese  are 
afraid  to  pass  over  the  smoke  of  your  chimneys,  and  we 
are  left  to  starve.  While  you  whites  are  growing  rich 
upon  the  very  dust  of  our  fathers,  troubling  the  plains 
with  the  plough,  covering  them  with  cows  in  the  summer, 
and  in  winter  feeding  your  cattle  with  hay  from  the  very 
swamps  whence  our  beavers  have  been  driven  !" 

The  following  winter  proved  a  very  severe 
one ;  and  in  the  spring  of  1831  Mr.  Cockran 
renewed  his  proposals,  strengthening  his  argu- 
ments by  a  reference  to  his  own  circumstan 
ces: — 


THE  INDIAN  VILLAGE.  127 


"  Six  times,"  said  he,  "  has  that  river  been  frozen  since 
I  came  to  your  country,  and  as  many  times  has  it  been 
open  again.  Six  times  have  the  flocks  of  wild  fowl 
passed  and  repassed ;  I  diminished  not  their  number,  nor 
retarded  their  flight.  Yet  you  see  I  have  enough. 
Every  time  you  have  passed  my  house  I  have  fed  you 
when  hungry,  and  often  sent  you  away  laden  with  provi- 
sions. Still  I  am  not  in  want.  I  have  a  house,  a  field,  a 
garden,  cows,  and  pigs.  I  have  enough  to  feed  my  fan> 
ily,  my  servants,  and  the  Indian  children,  and  to  give  to 
the  passing  stranger. 

"  Now,  if  you  will  let  me  come  and  farm  at  your  en- 
campment, it  shall  be  entirely  for  the  benefit  of  yourself 
and  your  tribe.  I  will  teach  you ;  I  will  supply  you  with 
hoes  and  with  seed ;  I  will  send  a  man  with  oxen  to  plough 
the  land ;  I  will  help  you  to  build  comfortable  houses,  and 
to  preserve  the  corn  and  potatoes  for  winter  use." 

The  sufferings  of  the  winter  had  inclined 
the  chief  to  listen  more  favorably  to  this  pro- 
posal; he  even  himself  cordially  acquiesced 
in  it,  and  promised  to  consult  his  tribe  on  the 
subject.  Mr.  Cockran  was  quite  encouraged. 
"If  I  can  once,"  said  he,  "get  a  footing 
among  them,  and  make  them  see  that  I  have 
a  desire  for  their  welfare,  their  prejudice0 
against  myself  as  a  white  man,  and  against 
the  message  I  bear,  will  soon  vanish."  Pigwys, 
however,  found  that  the  principal  men  of  his 


128         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

tribe  objected  to  the  plan;  lie  himself  hesi- 
tated ;  and  again  the  summer  passed  without 
anything  being  done. 

%  The  next  winter  was  still  more  severe  than 
the  preceding  one,  and  the  half-starved  In- 
dians seemed  so  much  more  inclined  to  listen 
to  his  proposals,  that  our  Missionary  deter- 
mined without  loss  of  time  to  seek  for  an  eligi- 
ble spot. 

About  fifteen  miles  below  the  Eapids,  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  there  was  a  part 
of  the  Indian  Eeserves  called  Netley  Creek, 
much  resorted  to  by  the  Saulteaux  of  the 
neighborhood.  Here,  in  spring  and  autumn, 
there  was  usually  a  large  gathering  of  the 
tribe  to  consult  the  chief  conjurer  on  their 
good  or  ill-fortune ;  here  many  of  them  would 
encamp  for  a  few  weeks  at  a  time  during  their 
short  summer,  and  it  was  here  that  Pigwys' 
tent  was  generally  to  be  found. 

Mr.  Cockran  thought  that  this  might  be  a 
promising  spot  on  which  to  begin  his  opera- 
tions, and  in  April,  1832,  he  set  out  to  exam- 
ine it.  After  a  wearisome  journey — partly 


THE  INDIAN  VILLAGE. 


on  horseback  through  a  succession  of  swamps, 
and  partly  in  a  small  canoe,  making  his  way 
between  large  blocks  of  ice  piled  one  upon 
another  —  he  reached  the  place;  and  though 
he  found  it  far  less  suitable  than  he  expected, 
he  determined  to  begin  at  once,  and  sent 
down  two  men  and  a  yoke  of  oxen  to  break 
up  the  ground. 

But  by  this  time  the  rivers  were  open,  the 
fish  was  plentiful,  the  Indians  had  forgotten 
the  miseries  of  the  past  winter,  and  they  raised 
fresh  difficulties.  They  now  determined  to 
allow  no  further  steps  to  be  taken  till  they 
had  consulted  their  chief  "  medicine  man,"  or 
conjurer,  who  was  preparing  for  the  annual 
feast  and  incantations  :  this  took  place  at  the 
end  of  May,  and  Mr.  Cockran  was  invited  to 
attend.  He  found  a  large  tent  had  been 
pitched,  and  was  directed  to  the  east  end, 
where  the  chief  was  sitting,  fanning  himself 
with  the  skin  of  a  muskrat.  Pieces  of  riband 
and  cloth  were  hanging  all  round  the  tent,  — 
the  offerings  of  these  poor  people  to  the  con- 
jurer, who  were  "  thus  giving  what  they  could 
9 


ISO         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

ill  spare  in  order  to  be  told  a  lie;  while  to 
tlie  truth,  which  they  might  have  had  with- 
out money  and  without  price,  they  would  not 
listen."  There  were  as  many  as  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty,  men,  women,  and  children, 
crowded  together  in  the  tent,  the  top  of  which 
was  open,  and  admitted  the  rays  of  a  cloud- 
less sun ;  and  here  the  whole  party  were  en- 
gaged in  dancing,  shouting,  singing,  and  drum- 
ming, shaking  their  rattles,  and  running  round 
and  round  the  tent.  The  weather  was  ex 
tremely  warm,  the  skins  of  these  naked  bar- 
barians had  been  well  rubbed  with  sturgeon- 
oil,  and  we  shall  not  wonder  that  our  Mis- 
sionary soon  found  himself  obliged  to  escape 
into  the  open  air,  without  waiting  for  the  con- 
clusion of  the  proceedings.  Knowing  that 
this  conjurer  was  a  clever  but  ill-disposed  man, 
and  that  any  improvement  among  the  Indians 
would  endanger  his  craft,  Mr.  Cockran  greatly 
feared  that  the  oracle  would  be  unpropitious 
but  God  in  some  way  overruled  the  expected 
opposition,  and  he  was  allowed  to  proceed. 
To  those  who  have  the  opportunity  and 


THE  INDIAN  VILLAGE.  131 

leisure  to  read  them,  the  details  of  this  first 
establishment  of  the  Indian  settlement  afford 
a  very  instructive  lesson.  Nothing  could  be 
more  discouraging,  whether  we  look  at  the 
indifference  and  opposition  of  the  Indians, 
the  nature  of  the  only  available  land,  or  the 
amount  of  the  resources  required  compared 
with  the  very  small  means  that  were  within 
his  reach.  But  Mr.  Cockran  conferred  not 
with  flesh  and  blood,  not  even  with  his  own 
occasional  misgivings :  moved  with  compas- 
sion for  the  people,  and  longing  to  extend  his 
Master's  kingdom,  he  grasped  the  promises  of 
God  with  an  unyielding,  though  sometimes  a 
trembling  faith,  and  all  the  warmth  of  his 
heart  and  the  activity  of  his  mind  were  di- 
rected to  this  object.  His  "work  of  faith  and 
labor  of  love"  were  unfailing;  but  it  is  his 
"patience  of  hope"  to  which  we  would  es- 
pecially direct  the  attention  of  our  younger 
readers. 

Knowing  the  incalculable  importance  of  the 
work,  and  believing  that,  with  God's  help,  it 
might  be  accomplished,  he  did  not  suffer  his 


132    THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

thoughts  to  be  occupied  in  considering  whether 
it  should  be  attempted,  but  concentrated  his 
whole  mind  and  energies  on  the  lest  mode  of 
carrying  it  out ;  and  we  only  wish  we  could 
place  before  them  more  in  detail  the  uncon- 
quered  perseverance  with  which  he  met  and 
overcame  his  daily  difficulties  and  disappoint- 
ments. 

Determined  to  make  at  once  a  decided  ef- 
fort, he  left  his  home  and  congregation,  and 
taking  with  him  two  of  his  own  servants  and 
a  yoke  of  oxen,  set  off  for  Netley  Creek. 
Here  he  pitched  his  leathern  tent,  and  though 
the  men  and  oxen,  as  well  as  himself,  suffered 
much  at  times  from  want  of  proper  shelter, 
he  continued  here,  week  after  week,  returning 
to  the  Kapids  on  the  Saturday  and  back  again 
to  his  work  on  the  Monday. 

At  this  time  there  were  about  two  hundred 
Indians  in  the  encampment,  but  he  could  only 
prevail  upon  seven  of  them  to  attempt  culti- 
vation, and  even  these  could  not  be  depended 
on.  If  the  weather  were  bad,  they  would  not 
Btir  from  their  tents ;  and  if  fine,  they  were  as 


THE  INDIAN  VILLAGE.  133 

likely  to  set  off  on  a  fishing  expedition  as 
to  assist  in  clearing  the  ground  for  their  own 
crops. 

One  incident  is  too  characteristic  to  be 
omitted.  Some  of  the  ground  was  prepared, 
and  Mr.  Cockran  wished  to  send  to  the  Rapids 
for  the  seed.  He  applied  to  the  chief  for  two 
of  the  young  men  to  take  a  canoe  and  fetch 
it,  while  he  would  ride  home  and  prepare  it 
for  them ;  but  though  it  was  solely  for  their 
own  use,  not  one  would  move,  till  at  last  one 
of  the  sons  of  the  chief  offered  to  ride  Mr. 
Cockran's  horse  if  he  would  take  charge  of 
the  canoe!  Unmoved  by  the  rudeness  and 
selfishness  of  this  proposal,  Mr.  Cockran  ac- 
ceded to  it,  and  in  a  moment  the  lad  was 
mounted,  his  blanket  thrown  over  his  right 
shoulder,  his  hair  adorned  with  narrow  ribands, 
streaming  behind  his  back,  while  his  heel  was 
diligently  employed  in  urging  the  horse  to  its 
utmost  speed.  Off  he  flew  as  proud  as  pos- 
sible, and  was  out  of  sight  in  an  instant 
among  the  tall  poplars,  leaving  Mr.  Cockran 
and  his  servant  to  paddle  the  canoe  fifteen 


134:    THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

miles  against  the  current  to  fetch  seed  for  his 
own  people ! 

Thus  it  went  on,  day  after  day,  till  there 
was  as  much  seed  sown  as  there  was  ground 
cleared  to  receive  it,  Mr.  Cockran  taking 
every  opportunity  of  bringing  forward  some 
portion  of  Divine  Truth,  here  a  little  and 
there  a  little,  as  his  hearers  could  bear  it. 

Much  as  Mr.  Cockran  suffered  from  fatigue 
and  anxiety,  and  occasionally  from  cold  and 
want  of  proper  food,  this  residence  at  Netley 

Creek  was  not  without  its  use.  It  not  only 
brought  him  to  a  more  intimate  acquaintance 
with  the  minds  and  habits  of  the  Indians,  but 
it  enabled  him  to  form  a  more  just  and  encour- 
aging estimate  of  the  work  that  was  going  on 
in  his  own  congregation. 

"  While  at  home,"  he  says,  "  and  seeing  the  inconsis- 
tencies and  shortcomings  of  some  of  my  flock,  I  am  apt 
to  imagine  things  are  going  on  badly  with  us,  and  I  ask, 
*  Is  the  Lord  among  us  or  not  ?'  But  when  I  go  to  Netley 
Creek,  and  see  the  inhabitant  of  the  forest  with  his  mise- 
rable blanket  wrapped  round  him  ;  or  when  I  witness  the 
embjems  of  terror  printed  on  many  a  face,  and  hear  the 
woods  resound  with  the  terrific  notes  of  the  war-song,— 
then  I  can  see  that  the  Lord  has  done  great  things  for  us, 


THE  INDIAN"  VILLAGE.  135 


whereof  we  may  well  rejoice.  Such  were  some  of  my 
own  people,  and  such,  but  for  Divine  grace,  might  we  all 
have  been." 

And  again : — 

"  Night  and  day  do  the  woods  at  Netley  Creek  resound 
with  the  deadening  and  depressing  sounds  of  the  con- 
jurer's drum  and  rattle.  Every  time  he  strikes  his  drum, 
regularly  and  steadily  as  the  ticking  of  a  clock,  and 
shouts  out  his  dismal c  Ho,  ho,  ho  !'  I  feel  my  spirits  sink, 
and  an  Indian  apathy  seems  to  come  over  my  whole  frame. 
But  when,  on  Saturday  afternoon,  I  return  to  my  dear 
family  and  comfortable  home,  all  my  better  feelings  are 
brought  back  again.  One  day  in  the  house  of  God  is 
better  than  a  thousand  ;  and  my  Sunday  services  with  my 
devout  and  increasing  congregation  (now  about  250), 
make  me  forget  the  toils,  the  griefs,  the  gloomy  thoughts 
of  the  past  week,  and  prepare  me  for  the  troubles  of  the 
next." 

Three  rude  dwellings  were  soon  constructed, 
one  for  tlie  chief,  another  for  an  Indian  of  the 
name  of  "Ked  Deer,"  who  showed  a  desire  to 
settle,  and  the  third  for  a  servant  of  Mr.  Cock- 
ran's ;  but  one  shudders  to  read  that  the  man 
who  assisted  in  the  building  these  cottages 
was  called  "  Cannibal,"  from  his  having  de 
voured  nine  of  his  own  relations  in  a  time  of 
scarcity. 


136         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

The  first  few  months  were  months  of  great 
anxiety  to  Mr.  Cockran.  The  summer  proved 
wet  and  stormy,  and  in  August  a  sharp  frost 
injured  the  potatoes ;  the  Indians  were  discour- 
aged, and  even  Pigwys  himself  returned  to 
his  old  idea  that  the  "  Master  of  Life"  was 
angry  with  these  "troublers  of  the  soil;" 
While  the  "medicine  men"  left  no  means  un- 
tried to  dissuade  the  cultivators  from  reaping 
the  very  crops  they  had  with  so  much  dif- 
ficulty been  persuaded  to  sow. 

It  was  a  time  of  anxious  suspense,  and  great 
was  Mr.  Cockrau's  joy  when,  on  Sept.  3d,  1832, 
he  found  the  Indians  beginning  to  reap  their 
barley,  and  though  they  would  only  work  for 
an  hour  at  a  time,  and  then  would  light  their 
pipes  and  sit  down  to  rest,  yet  in  the  course 
of  a  few  days  their  little  harvest  was  safely 
housed.  Four  out  of  the  seven  consumed  the 
produce  immediately  in  Indian  feasts;  and 
only  three,  one  of  whom  was  Pigwys,  re- 
served the  produce  for  winter  store.  But 
small  as  the  quantity  was,  the  advantage  and 
comfort  they  found  from  it  encouraged  them- 


THE  INDIAN  VILLAGE.  137 

selves  and  others  to  future  efforts,  so  that,  in 
the  following  spring,  the  number  of  cultiva- 
tors was  increased  to  fourteen. 

Circumstances,  however,  induced  Mr.  Cock- 
ran  to  think  it  advisable  to  form  another  set- 
tlement ;  and  with  the  cordial  consent  of  the 
chief  he  fixed  on  Sugar  Point  (so  called  from 
the  sugar-maple  trees  with  which  it  abounded), 
two  miles  nearer  to  the  Eapids,  as  a  more  suit- 
able spot  for  a  permanent  establishment.  One 
motive  that  influenced  him  was  the  hatred 
and  jealousy  that  existed  between  the  Saul- 
teaux  and  the  Crees,  the  former  being  the 
more  wild  and  ferocious,  and  the  latter  having 
the  reputation  of  greater  skill  in  sorcery. 

A  touching  incident  occurred  to  Mr.  Cockran 
in  illustration  of  this.  He  mentions  a  visit 
he  paid  to  the  chief,  whom  he  found  in  his 
tent  with  the  conjurer,  and  another  man,  a 
Saulteaux,  whose  face  was  blackened  with 
charcoal  in  token  of  grief.  It  seems  he  had 
lately  lost  two  relations  by  sudden  death,  oc- 
casioned, as  he  was  persuaded,  by  the  incanta- 
tions of  the  Crees,  and  his  melancholy  counte- 


138         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

nance  told  plainly  his  apprehensions  of  soon 
sharing  the  same  fate  himself.  He  was  now 
taking  counsel  with  the  conjurer  and  with  the 
chief  how  best  to  avert  the  danger,  and  the 
conference  would  probably  have  ended  in  the 
murder  of  some  of  the  Crees.  Our  Missionary 
entered  into  conversation  with  him,  showing 
him  the  improbability  of  the  supposition,  and 
the  folly  of  thus  attempting  to  avoid  the  dan- 
ger, even  if  it  were  real. 

Sometimes,  as  he  listened  to  these  argu- 
ments, a  gleam  of  hope  would  brighten  the 
countenance  of  the  poor  man,  and  his  eyes 
would  sparkle  at  the  idea  that  perhaps  his 
fears  might  be  ungrounded,  and  his  life  be  yet 
prolonged.  But  soon  the  awful  thought  would 
return  that,  possibly  even  now,  some  conjurer 
among  the  Crees  was  using  against  him  the 
fatal  spell,  and  again  his  countenance  resumed 
its  look  of  terror  and  despair.  "  How  beauti- 
ful," exclaims  Mr.  Cockran,  after  narrating  the 
circumstance,  "  does  the  Gospel  appear  when 
contrasted  with  such  gloomy  superstition ! 
Well  may  the  Christian  rejoice  in  his  own 


THE   INDIAN  VILLAGE.  139 

clear  light  and  peaceful  prospects,  and  well 
may  he  mourn  over,  and  strive  to  remove,  the 
awful  darkness  of  his  fellow-men  1" 

Mr.  Cockran  accordingly  began  the  new  set- 
tlement at  Sugar  Point  in  the  spring  of  1833 ; 
it  was  one  extremity  of  the  "crescent  bay," 
of  which  we  spoke  before,  and  our  readers  will 
perhaps  already  have  concluded  that  this  was 
the  commencement  of  the  Indian  Village. 

Henceforward  it  became  the  point  to  which 
the  Missionary's  attention  was  chiefly  directed, 
and  in  the  next  chapter  we  will  relate  some- 
thing of  the  progress  of  his  work  there. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

INDIAN  VILLAGE  CONTINUED— PIGWYS. 
"  In  due  season  we  shall  reap,  if  we  faint  not." — GAL.  vi.  9. 

THE  cultivation  of  the  new  settlement  was, 
as  we  have  said,  begun  in  the  spring  of  1833, 
and  though  the  progress  was  slow,  it  was 
steady.  A  house  was  built  for  the  Chief,  who 
willingly  took  up  his  abode  here,  and  one  In- 
dian after  another  (chiefly  from  the  Crees) 
joined  him,  and  set  to  work  in  good  earnest 
to  clear  the  ground,  to  sow  their  seed,  and  to 
build  for  themselves  small  and  rough,  but 
substantial  dwellings.  The  walls  of  these  cot- 
tages were  made  of  logs  of  oak  or  maple,  plas- 
tered with  mud,  and  neatly  whitewashed ;  the 
roofs  were  thatched  with  reeds,  and  covered 
with  earth ;  and  for  their  windows  they  used 
the  skins  of  fish. 

One  of  Mr.  Cockran's  first  cares  was  to  build 


THE  INDIAN  VILLAGE — PIGWYS.        141 

a  school-room,  and,  after  much  persuasion,  he 
prevailed  on  the  parents  to  send  their  children 
for  instruction ;  but  he  found  the  management 
of  these  untamed  beings  no  easy  task.  The 
Indians  never  control  their  children,  nor  will 
they  suffer  them  to  be  controlled  by  others ; 
and  as  knowledge  was  as  yet  of  no  value  in 
their  eyes,  the  only  method  of  obtaining  even 
an  occasional  attendance  was  by  giving  them 
one  meal  a  day,  and  providing  them  with 
warm  clothing  in  the  winter.  The  interior  of 
the  school-room  presented  for  some  time  a 
strange  scene  of  confusion  and  disorder. 

"  If,"  says  Mr.  Cockran,  "  we  had  the  same  number  of 
the  wildest  birds  in  the  forest  let  loose  in  a  room,  we 
should  not  find  it  more  difficult  to  move  among  them. 
They  run  in  and  out,  learn  or  "play,  according  to  their 
pleasure,  quarrel  with  each  other,  and  always  seek  to  settle 
their  quarrels  by  the  knife  or  the  bow  and  arrow.  To 
assume  anything  like  authority  would  be  to  drive  them 
away." 

Mr.  Cockran,  however,  was  happy  in  finding 
a  master,  Mr.  Cook,  who  partook  of  his  own 
devotedness  and  perseverance  ;  and  by  gentle 
persuasion  and  almost  imperceptible  restraint, 


142         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

succeeded  by  degrees  in  bringing  the  school 
into  something  like  order.  The  children  began 
to  take  pleasure  in  learning,  the  knife  and  the 
bows  and  arrows  were  reserved  for  more  fit- 
ting use,  and  in  about  two  years  the  school 
assumed  the  appearance  which  we  have  de- 
scribed in  the  preceding  chapter.  Not  that  it 
was  possible  ever  to  bring  it  to  the  regularity 
of  an  English  school.  The  susceptibility  of 
the  boys  to  the  complaint  called  "thinking 
long,"  made  it  necessary  for  Mr.  Cook  to  allow 
them  to  go  out  to  hunt  or  fish  whenever  they 
liked ;  and  yet  even  with  this  precaution  sev- 
eral of  them  died. 

The  first  year  that  cultivation  was  attempted 
here  the  crops  were  tolerably  good,  and  Mr. 
Cockran  urged  them  to  reserve  a  sufficient 
quantity  for  seed  for  the  ensuing  spring ;  but 
in  vain :  they  could  not  overcome  their  own 
habits  of  improvidence,  nor, resist  the  impor- 
tunities of  their  wandering  relations. 

"  My  relations  from  the  woods,"  replied  Red  Deer  to 
Mr.  Cockran,  "  come  to  me  and  say, c  My  brother,  you 
are  rich,  you  have  a  house,  you  are  warm,  you  eat,  but 


INDIAN  VILLAGE — PIGWYS.  143 

we  are  cold  and  hungry ;'  so  I  let  them  come  and  warm 
themselves  at  my  fire,  and  sleep  in  my  room.  I  cook  for 
them,  they  eat ;  and  when  they  go  away,  they  say  '  Give 
us  a  little  to  take  away.'  I  give,  I  give,  but  they  are 
scarcely  gone  when  others  come.  I  cook,  I  give,  I  give, 
•hey  soon  will  have  the  whole."  . 

It  was  easier  to  Ked  Deer  to  give  till  all 
was  gone,  and  then  to  depend  on  Mr.  Cockran 
for  support,  than  to  refuse  these  idle  wander- 
ers, or  to  help  them  only  on  the  condition 
that  in  the  spring  they  would  help  them- 
selves. 

The  consequence  was  that  they  were  left 
without  seed-corn  or  potatoes ;  and  as  the  store 
of  the  Missionaries  was  too  low  to  afford  them 
any  effectual  assistance,  their  fields  in  1834 
would  have  remained  unsown,  and  all  the  im- 
provement that  had  taken  place  would  have 
been  lost,  had  not  the  people  at  the  Eapids 
nobly  come  forward  to  their  assistance;  and 
though  themselves  straitened  by  having  to  re- 
pair the  injury  done  to  their  own  church  by 
lightning,  generously  sent  them  a  large  supply 
of  wheat,  barley,  and  potatoes,  for  seed. 

Gradually,  however,  the  Indians  improved 


144         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

in  these  respects ;  and  we  have  seen  the  testi- 
mony which  Mr.  Cockran  himself  bore  of  the 
state  of  the  village  two  years  and  a  half  after 
its  commencement. 

The  erection  of  a  mill  had  greatly  aided  in 
this  improvement;  hitherto  the  people  had 
been  accustomed  to  dry  the  corn  in  a  pan  and 
bruise  it  between  two  stones;  but  this  mill  not 
only  enabled  them  to  get  proper  meal,  and 
make  it  into  wholesome  bread,  but  it  seemed 
to  develop  a  new  character  in  them.  Noth- 
ing that  had  yet  been  done  had  served  to 
rouse  them  so  effectually  from  their  natural 
apathy  as  this  did.  On  the  day  on  which  it 
was  first  used,  Mr.  Cockran  rode  down  to  see 
it,  and  found  the  whole  village  in  a  state  of 
bustle  and  excitement.  Some  were  threshing 
their  corn,  some  carrying  it  to  the  mill  on 
their  shoulders,  or  dragging  it  on  a  sledge, 
while  an  eager  group  were  at  the  mill  itself, 
waiting  till  their  turn  should  come,  or  hand- 
ling the  meal  as  it  fell  into  the  box,  scarcely 
able  to  persuade  themselves  that  this  was  in* 
deed  the  produce  of  their  own  industry. 


INDIAN  VILLAGE — PIGWYS.  145 

The  improvement  in  their  moral  and  reli- 
gious state  kept  pace  with  that  of  their  social 
habits.  From  the  first,  their  minister  had, 
while  assisting  them  in  their  work,  taken 
every  opportunity  of  scattering  the  seeds  of 
Divine  truth,  though  for  some  time  there  was 
no  appearance  of  its  taking  root.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1833,  he  commenced  a  weekly  evening- 
meeting,  but  for  some  time  with  little  to  cheer 
him.  The  attendance  was  very  small ;  some 
were  afraid  of  hearing  their  sins  condemned  ; 
others  were  conjurers,  who  imagined  that  if 
they  listened  to  the  Word  of  God  their  magi- 
cal power  would  depart  from  them ;  and  Mr. 
Cockran's  homeward  ride  of  thirteen  miles, 
often  through  storm  and  snow,  was  saddened 
with  the  feeling  that  he  was  spending  his 
strength  for  naught. 

But  before  very  long  a  little  gleam  of  light 
appeared ;  the  few  who  did  attend  continued 
very  steadily,  and  seemed  impressed.  Early 
in  the  spring  a  woman  applied  for  baptism, 
others  followed  her  example,  and  after  a  few 
months  of  diligent  instruction  the  foundation 
10 


146         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

of  a  Christian  Church  was  laid  here  by  the 
baptism  of  ten  adults  and  as  many  children. 

It  was  soon  after  this  that  Mr.  Cockran  was 
summoned  to  a  distressing  scene.  One  of  the 
Indians,  who  had  a  cottage  and  field,  and  who 
had  for  many  months  regularly  attended  the 
means  of  grace,  and  conducted  himself  with 
the  greatest  propriety,  had,  for  some  time 
past,  wished  to  be  baptized  ;  but  his  wife  and 
mother  so  violently  opposed  this  that  he  de- 
ferred speaking  to  Mr.  Cockran  on  the  subject, 
hoping  that  their  prejudice  would  subside. 
After  a  while  he  was  taken  ill ;  and  the  wife 
and  mother,  notwithstanding  his  entreaties  to 
the  contrary,  sent  for  the  conjurer,  who  in- 
voked the  spirits  of  the  wind,  the  forest,  the 
:8ea,  and  the  dead,  to  restore  him  to  health. 

We  may  suppose  the  distress  this  caused  to 
the  poor  man,  but  it  led  him  to  a  determina- 
tion no  longer  to  delay  sending  for  his  minis- 
ter, whom  he  entreated  to  baptize  him.  Mr. 
Cockran,  anxious  to  know  the  state  of  his 
mind,  attempted  to  enter  into  conversation 
with  him,  but  the  two  women,  unmindful  of 


INDIAN  VILLAGE— PIGWYS.  147 

the  sick  man's  suffering,  assailed  them  both, 
with  such  a  torrent  of  abuse,  that  conversa- 
tion was  impossible.  With  great  difficulty 
Mr.  Cockran  prevailed  on  them  to  leave  the 
house ;  and  then,  when  all  was  quiet,  and  he 
had  ascertained  his  fitness  for  the  rite,  he  bap- 
tized him  and  two  of  his  children,  who  at- 
tended the  school.  Two  days  afterwards,  h© 
died  in  peace,  the  first-fruits  of  the  Indian 
Village. 

A  few  months  later,  Mr.  Cockran  had  the 
privilege  of  baptizing  several  other  persons, 
some  of  whose  cases  were  very  interesting, 
and  none,  perhaps,  more  so  than  that  of  the 
widow  of  the  man  above-mentioned,  who, 
having  been  softened  and  awakened  to  a  con- 
cern for  her  soul  by  the  conduct  and  death  of 
her  husband,  began  to  attend  the  weekly 
meetings,  received  regular  instruction,  and  at 
last  joined  herself  to  the  people  of  the  Lord. 

In  January,  1835,  Mr.  Cockran  began  an 
afternoon's  service  on  the  Lord's  day ;  more 
he  could  not  attempt,  for  his  own  congregation 
occupied  him  in  the  morning  and  the  evening ; 


148         THE  KA1NBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

and  lie  could  expect  no  help  from  Mr.  Jones, 
on  whom  lay  the  charge  of  the  Upper  and 
Middle  churches.  Early  in  the  following 
year,  the  number  of  regular  attendants  had 
increased  to  100  ;  and  the  almost  unhoped-for 
prospect  of  an  Indian  Church  began  to  open 
upon  him.  His  congregation  at  the  Eapids 
took  great  interest  in  the  plan,  and  with  their 
accustomed  liberality  and  kindness  gave  him 
all  the  help  in  their  power,  some  of  them 
walking  twenty-six  miles  to  give  him  an  occa- 
sional day's  work  gratuitously. 

The  Indians  themselves  were  very  much 
pleased  with  the  idea,  but  whether  from  any 
remains  of  a  superstitious  feeling,  or  only 
from  their  natural  apathy,  could  not  be  in- 
duced to  set  about  digging  the  foundations, 
till,  in  June,  1836,  Mr.  Cockran  began  the 
work  with  his  own  hands.  They  then  readily 
joined  him,  and  the  work  was  carried  on 
with  such  spirit,  that  before  the  end  of  the 
year  the  church  was  completed,  and  this  fresh 
testimony  for  God  on  the  banks  of  Eed  Eiver 


INDIAN  VILLAGE — PIGWYS.  149 

\vas  added  to  the  pretty  picture  already  de- 
scribed.* 

This  steady  industry  was  the  more  encour- 
aging, as  the  want  of  the  supplies  from  Eng- 
land prevented  Mr.  Cockran  from  being  able 
fully  to  remunerate  them  for  their  work,  or  to 
give  the  usual  supply  of  clothing  to  their 
children.  Their  own  crops,  too,  had  failed, 
and  they  were  often  entirely  dependent  for 
their  support  on  a  hook  or  a  net  let  down 
through  ice  three  feet  in  thickness.  And 
yet  these  people  would  go  entirely  without 
food,  rather  than  either  hunt  or  fish  on.  the 
Lord's  day. 

At  length  the  time  arrived  when  the  Church 
was  to  be  opened,  and  January  4,  1837,  was 
fixed  on  for  the  purpose. 

It  was  not  only  the  eye  of  the  Indian  that 

*  Mr.  Jones,  alluding  to  a  service  he  held  here  in  the  fol- 
lowing summer,  speaks  of  the  scene  as  most  picturesque  : — 

"  The  clump  of  trees  in  which  the  church  stands  was  in 
full  foliage,  the  doors  and  windows  were  open  on  account  of 
the  heat,  and  the  eye  caught  glimpses  of  the  river  gliding 
past  in  glassy  smoothness  between  the  trunks  of  ancient 
and  decaying  trees.  The  people  before  me  were  all  In. 
dians,  the  feeble  remains  of  a  nation  passing  into  oblivion." 


150         THE   RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

glistened  with,  thankful  joy  on  that  occasion. 
The  weather  was  stormy  and  bitterly  cold,  the 
snow  fell  so  fast  that  the  track  was  invisible, 
yet  so  great  an  interest  had  been  felt  in  the 
erection  of  this  Church,  that  all  the  officers  of 
the  Company  within  reach,  and  a  large  num- 
ber of  settlers  from  the  neighborhood,  made 
their  way  through  storm  and  snow  to  be  pres- 
ent at  the  opening  of  it. 

The  little  Church  was  full,  and  few  among 
the  assembled  throng  could  remain  unmoved 
at  the  sight  of  above  two  hundred  of  these 
once  half-naked  savages,  now  "clothed  and  in 
their  right  mind,"  joining  with  seriousness  in 
the  responses,  listening  attentively  to  the  ser- 
mon, or,  with  sweet  and  well-tuned  voices, 
singing  the  praises  of  Him  who  had  done  such 
great  things  for  them.  Mr.  Cockran's  own 
heart  overflowed  with  gratitude,  and  even  Mr. 
Jones's  sorrow-stricken  spirit  was  filled  with 

joy- 
There  was  one  present  on  that  joyful  day 

whose  eye  shone  as  brightly,  and  whose  heart 
glowed  as  fervently  as  any  there,  and  to  whom 


INDIAN  VILLAGE— PIGWYS.  151 

Mr.  Cockran  looked  for  future  usefulness,  but 
who  was  soon,  in  the  inscrutable  Providence 
of  God,  called  up  from  the  congregation  on 
earth  to  join  the  company  of  the  redeemed 
above.  This  was  one  of  the  sons  of  the  Chief, 
who  had  been  brought  up  in  the  school,  and 
whose  heart  had  been  opened  to  receive  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  He  had  at  his  baptism 
received  the  name  of  George  Prince ;  and  find- 
ing he  was  a  clever  lad,  Mr.  Cockran  took  him 
to  reside  with  him,  that  he  might  be  further 
instructed  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  might 
acquire  a  better  knowledge  of  English. 

Nothing  could  be  more  satisfactory  than  his 
conduct.  His  anxious  desire  to  impart  to  his 
countrymen  a  knowledge  of  the  Saviour  whom 
he  had  himself  found  and  loved,  stimulated 
him  to  a  stead}'-  application  to  his  studies, 
while,  in  the  intervals  of  relaxation,  he  showed 
none  of  the  usual  indolence  and  selfishness  of 
the  Indian  character.  He  would  never  see 
Mr.  Cockran  at  work  without  coming  to  assist 
him;  and  though  often  scoffed  at  by  some 
passing  Indians,  who  would  call  him  "  slave," 


152         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

and  hold  him  up  to  ridicule,  this  never  moved 
him  from  his  purpose  nor  roused  his  spirit. 

Thus  he  went  on,  "a  faithful  friend  and 
willing  helper"  to  his  benefactor,  till  the  au- 
tumn of  1837,  when  he  seemed  unwell;  and 
Mr.  Cockran,  knowing  the  prejudices  still  re- 
maining in  the  Indian  mind  against  European 
nursing,  sent  him  home :  here  he  grew  worse, 
medical  advice  was  of  no  avail ;  he  lingered 
for  three  weeks,  and  then  fell  asleep  in  Jesus. 
During  this  period  he  gave  abundant  proof  of 
the  reality  of  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
his  heart.  His  faith  and  hope  rested  unhesi- 
tatingly on  Christ,  whom  he  boldly  confessed 
before  his  people,  begging  his  father  and  his 
friends  not  to  weep  for  him,  as  he  was  going  to 
live  with  God,  where  he  should  be  forever 
happy,  and  urging  on  them  to  learn  the  way  of 
salvation,  so  that  when  they  died  he  should 
meet  them  again.  His  earthly  remains  now  rest 
in  the  little  churchyard  of  the  Indian  Village. 

During  the  last  two  years  the  settlement 
had  been  gradually  increased  by  the  arrival 
of  families  from  a  distance,  and  now  extended 


INDIAN  VILLAGE — PIGWYS.  153 

at  intervals  nearly  three  miles  along  the  river. 
Some  of  the  inhabitants  still  remained  heathen, 
but  at  the  time  of  the  opening  of  the  Church 
there  "were,  we  are  told,  forty-seven  Christian 
families,  consisting  of  two  hundred  and  sixty 
individuals,  residing  there,  and  listening  to 
the  sound  of  the  Gospel.  Great  had  been  the 
change  effected  by  that  sound.  Formerly  they 
had  been  addicted  to  every  crime,  but  all  had 
been  renounced.  Drunkenness  and  licentious- 
ness, heretofore  so  general,  were  now  not  to 
be  found;  and  though  they  still  had  many 
peculiarities  and  infirmities,  and  many  old 
habits  were  still  cleaving  to  them,  yet  their 
hearts'  desire  was  to  serve  God  wholly,  and  to 
love  their  neighbors  as  themselves.  The  con- 
gregation averaged  above  two  hundred,  and 
nowhere  could  a  more  devout  and  attentive 
one  be  met  with.  Their  heathen  neighbors 
had  become  more  orderly,  for  in  1835,  when 
Divine  worship  was  first  established,  the  servi- 
ces were  often  interrupted  by  the  din  of  the 
conjurer's  drum,  but  now  all  was  quiet,  and 
the  Sabbath  was  as  well  observed  there  as  in 


154          THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

any  English  village.  "Little,  indeed,  still," 
says  Mr.  Cockran,  "  when  compared  with  other 
Missions,  or  with  the  wide  extent  of  heathen- 
ism around,  yet  great  when  compared  with 
former  days,  or  when  viewed  in  the  light  of 
eternity." 

The  number  of  Christians  continued  to  in- 
crease ;  and  one  interesting  case,  among  others, 
was  that  of  a  noted  conjurer,  who  had  taken 
up  his  residence  here  some  time  before,  but 
continued  violently  opposed  to  Christianity. 
When  his  children  came  to  school,  it  was  with 
the  imprecations  of  his  gods  upon  their  heads ; 
and  when  his  daughter,  who  was  soon  able  to 
read,  tried  to  persuade  him  to  listen  to  some 
of  God's  Word,  he  would  sneer  at  her,  and 
tell  her  that  she  was  going  to  ruin.  After  this 
h&  gave  her  in  marriage  to  a  heathen  man, 
who  had  come  from  some  distant  place ;  and 
when  the  poor  girl  entreated  that  she  should 
not  be  obliged  to  accompany  him,  her  father 
forced  her  into  the  canoe  with  his  own  paddle. 
Unable  to  endure  the  miseries  of  her  new  life, 
she  made  her  escape  at  the  beginning  of  the 


INDIAN  VILLAGE — PIGWYS.  155 

winter,  and  returned  to  the  village.  Soon  af- 
ter, she  and  two  of  her  brothers  were  taken 
ill,  and  were  very  anxious  to  be  baptized, 
when  the  strong  feeling  of  parental  affection 
overcame  every  other,  and  the  father  himself 
took  the  message  to  Mr.  Cockran.  Mr.  Cock- 
ran  gladly  consented,  but  only  on  condition 
that  he  would  himself  bring  them  to  the 
Church,  and  publicly  declare  that  he  would 
allow  them  the  free  exercise  of  their  religion. 
It  was  a  great  struggle  for  the  poor  man,  for 
he  feared  that  if  he  entered  a  Christian  place 
of  worship  his  occult  art  would  depart  from 
him ;  but  at  last  he  ventured  to  the  door,  and 
gradually  moved  into  the  Church  itself  to  wit- 
ness the  baptism  of  his  children.  It  seems  to 
have  made  an  impression  upon  him,  for  he 
soon  after  put  himself  under  Christian  instruc- 
tion, and  was  baptized  in  the  summer  of  1837. 
After  his  conversion  he  assured  Mr.  Cockran 
that  his  former  conjuring  was  not  imposture, 
and  that  he  was  convinced  he  had  the  power 
of  invoking  spirits,  who  would  answer  his 
questions,  and  sing  and  dance  at  his  command. 


156         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

He  told  him  that  lie  liad  obtained  the  power 
by  fasting  for  eight  days  for  this  express  pur- 
pose. 

But  a  still  more  interesting  case  was  that  of 
the  Chief  himself,  Pigwys,  in  whom  we  doubt 
not  that  our  readers  have  already  felt  some 
concern.  They  will  remember  the  doubts  and 
difficulties  with  which  he  gave  his  consent  to 
Mr.  Cockran  to  endeavor  to  form  an  Indian 
settlement;  but  from  the  time  that  consent 
was  given  he  never  wavered,  continuing  firm 
and  faithful,  notwithstanding  the  violent  op- 
position of  his  tribe,  who  were  made  still  more 
angry  by  seeing  the  Crees  profiting  by  the 
advantages  which  they  themselves  continued 
to  refuse. 

/  They  went  so  far  as  to  set  up  his  eldest  son 
as  a  rival  to  him,  intending  to  deprive  him  of 
his  chieftainship,  but  the  scheme  failed,-  and 
the  young  man  left  the  neighborhood  and 
joined  a  distant  portion  of  the  tribe. 

Throughout  all  this  affair,  Pigwys  behaved 
with  the  greatest  moderation;  indeed,  the 
whole  of  his  character  was  undergoing  a  conv 


INDIAN  VILLAGE— PIG-WTS.  157 

plete -change,  Ms  old  habits  of  sin  were  broken 
through,  and  he  appeared  not  far  from  the 
kingdom  of  God.  He  had  for  a  long  time 
regularly  attended  all  the  means  of  grace,  had 
sent  .his  children  to  the  school,  and,  as  we  have 
seen,  had  allowed  one  of  them  to  be  baptized. 

The  illness  and  death  of  this  young  man 
were  severe  trials  to  his  father's  faith :  his 
heathen  friends  gathered  round  him,  attribut- 
ing his  illness  to  his  having  forsaken  the  reli- 
gion of  his  forefathers,  and  eagerly  pressing  to 
have  the  usual  conjurations  performed  for 
him.  But  the  good  old  man  steadfastly  re- 
fused. "Brethren,"  he  said,  "you  are  too 
late ;  I  have  given  up  my  heart  to  this  new 
religion,  and  I  intend  to  prove  that  I  can 
leave  my  son  in  the  hands  of  God." 

All  this  time  Pigwys  remained  unbaptized ; 
he  had  often  applied  for  baptism ;  he  had 
given  up  his  old  sins,  and  drunkenness,  which 
had  been  his  besetting  one,  was  no  longer  a 
habit ;  but  Mr.  Cockran  knew  that  he  could 
not  always  resist  the  invitation,  when  visiting 
at  the  Upper  Settlement,  to  take  a  little^  which 


158         THE  BAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

often  grew  to  more,  and  lie  still  occasionally 
returned  home  in  a  state  very  unfit  for  a 
Christian. 

But  by  the  grace  of  God  this  last  chain  of 
sin  was  at  last  effectually  broken  through; 
and  in  February,  1838,  his  minister  had  the 
joy  of  receiving  this  faithful,  upright  friend, 
into  the  fold  of  Christ's  Church. 

The  distance  of  the  Indian  Village  from  the 
Eapids  was  a  great  disadvantage  to  the  peo- 
ple, for  though,  notwithstanding  the  failure 
both  in  his  health  and  spirits,  Mr.  Cockran 
never  suffered  either  cold,  or  heat,  or  rain,  or 
melting  snow,  to  interfere  with  his  Sunday 
service  there,  yet  it  was  but  seldom  that  he 
could  visit  it  during  the  week,  and  both  him 
self  and  the  people  deeply  felt  the  importance 
of  having  a  resident  clergyman  among  them. 

In  August,  1838,  Mr.  Jones  visited  the  vil- 
lage before  he  took  his  departure  for  England. 
He  held  divine  service  in  the  Church,  and 
gave  a  parting  address,  after  which  Pigwys 
stepped  into  the  aisle  and  said,  "You  have 
epoken  as  you  always  do,  as  a  father  to  his 


INDIAN  VILLAGE— PIGWYS.  159 


children,  and  I  wish  all  would  listen  to  you, 
I  send  by  you  a  letter  to  the  Missionary  men 
in  England:  tell  them  not  to  forget  me  —  I 
want  the  word  of  life  to  be  always  spoken  in 
my  land." 

Another  Indian,  a  chief  of  the  Muscaigoes, 
then  came  forward  and  spoke  to  the  same  ef- 
fect, adding  with  great  vehemence,  "Tell  them 
to  make  haste,  time  is  short,  and  death  is 
snatching  away  our  friends  very  fast;  tell 
them  to  make  haste."  TJhere  were  from  200 
to  250  Indians  present,  and  as  Mr.  Jones  stood 
at  the  church-door  to  shake  hands  with  each 
one  as  he  passed,  there  was  scarcely  a  dry  eye 
among  them.  How  different  from  the  stoical 
indifference  of  their  former  character  !  (P.  22.) 

The  following  is  the  letter  sent  by  the  Chief 
to  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  accompa- 
nied with  a  calumet,  or  pipe  of  peace,  made 
of  the  peculiar  red  stone  considered  sacred 
among  them  :  — 


"  My  FRIENDS, 

"  It  has  never  been  my  custom  to  leave  off  in  the 
midst  of  my  work,  but  to  finish  it  off  hand  ;  and  what  I 


160         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 


said  to  you  in  my  former  letter  I  intend  to  adhere  to,  to 
the  end  of  my  life.  My  friends,  my  heart  is  sore  to  see 
our  praying-master  (Mr.  Cockran)  driven  about  like  a 
slave,  to  teach  all  the  people  here.  You  cannot  know 
how  far  he  has  to  go  ;  I  think  you  are  killing  our  friend ; 
you  should  send  another  to  teach  us.  My  friends,  what 
are  you  about  ?  There  is  not  a  summer  but  some  of  the 
French  praying-masters  arrive,  but  I  do  not  wish  to  go  to 
them  ;  I  wish  you  alone  to  teach  me  the  word  of  God.  I 
am  getting  very  old,  my  friends,  'but  there  are  young  peo- 
ple growing  up  who  are  instructed  to  seek  everlasting  life, 
and  I  sincerely  hope  they  will  find  it.  I  do  not  now  look 
so  much  to  my  body  as  to  my  soul,  and  I  intend  therefore 
to  hold  fast  to  your  instructions.  It  was  fully  my  inten- 
tion that  my  son,  whose  hand  wrote  to  you  for  me  last 
year,  should  have  been  useful  to  you,  but  he  is  now  no 
more ;  he  has  left  me  forever  ;  he  sleeps  by  your  church, 
and  I  hope  to  sleep  there  too.  I  hope,  therefore,  you  will 
more  particularly  consider  my  case.  You  may,  perhaps, 
be  discouraged  as  you  hear  that  many  of  my  young  men, 
do  not  wish  to  follow  your  doctrines ;  but,  you  know,  per- 
severance goes  a  great  way,  and  I  think  in  time  many 
will  be  brought  in. 

"  WILLIAM  KING, 
"  Chief  of  the  Red  River  Indians." 

So  anxious  was  the  good  old  man  upon 
this  subject,  that  as  Mr.  Jones  was  getting 
into  his  canoe  he  again  came  up  to  him  and 
said,  "  Do  you  send  me  a  letter  next  spring, 
that  I  may  know  what  to  expect.7' 


USTDIAtf  VILLAGE— PIGWYS.  161 

Several  others  of  the  principal  men  sent 
also  a  letter  to  the  Committee,  but  we  must 

reserve  this  for  the  next  chapter. 
11 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

INDIAN  VILLAGE — EAPIDS — BUKWIISTG    OF 
PRAIRIES. 

tt  I  -will  be  as  the  dew  unto  Israel ;  he  shall  grow  as  the 
lily,  and  cast  forth  his  roots  at  Lebanon." — HOSEA  xiv.  5. 

AT  the  end  of  the  last  chapter  we  promised 
our  readers  that  we  would  lay  before  them 
the  letter  sent  to  the  Committee  of  the  Church 
Missionary  Society  by  some  of  the  principal 
men  at  the  Indian  Village,  and  though,  as 
they  will  find,  it  differs  considerably  from 
that  of  their  chief,  it  contains,  as  that  did,  the 
genuine  expressions  of  the  feelings  of  our 
Eed  brethren.  It  is  as  follows : — 

u  August  l,  1838. 
"  SERVANTS  OF  THE  GREAT  GOD, 

"  We  once  more  call  to  you  for  help,  and  hope  on 
cry  will  avail.  You  sent  us  what  you  called  the  word  of 
God ;  we  left  our  hunting-grounds,  and  came  to  hear  it. 
But  we  did  not  altogether  like  it,  for  it  told  us  to  leave  off 
drunkenness  and  adultery,  to  keep  ouly  one  wife,  to  cast 


INDIAN  VILLAGE.  163 


away  our  idols  and  all  our  bad  heathen  ways ;  but  as  it 
still  repeated  to  us  that,  if  we  did  not,  the  great  God 
would  send  us  to  the  great  devil's  fire ;  by  the  goodness 
of  God  we  saw  at  last  it  was  true.  We  now  like  the 
word  of  God,  and  we  have  left  off  our  sins ;  we  have  cast 
away  our  rattles,  our  drums,  and  our  idols,  and  all  our 
bad  heathen  ways.  But  what  are  we  to  do,  our  friends  ? 
Mr.  Jones  is  going  to  leave  us  ;  Mr.  Cockran  talks  of  it 
Must  we  turn  to  our  idols  and  gods  again  ?  or  must  wo 
turn  to  the  French  praying-masters  ?  We  see  three 
French  praying-masters  have  come  to  the  River  and  not 
one  for  us !  What  is  this,  our  friends  ?  The  word  of 
God  says  that  one  soul  is  worth  more  than  all  the  world  ; 
surely  then,  our  friends,  three  hundred  souls  are  worth 
one  praying-master !  It  is  not  once  or  twice  a-week 
teaching  that  is  enough  to  make  us  wise  ;  we  have  a  bad 
heart,  and  we  hate  our  bad  hearts  and  all  our  evil  ways, 
and  we  wish  to  cast  them  all  away,  and  we  hope  in  time, 
by  the  help  of  God,  to  be  able  to  do  it.  But  have  patience, 
our  friends ;  we  hope  our  children  will  do  better,  and  will 
learn  to  read  God's  book,  so  as  to  go  forth  to  their  country- 
people  to  tell  them  the  way  of  life,  and  that  many  may  bo 
saved  from  the  great  devil's  fire. 

"  We  hope  you  will  pity  us,  and  hear  our  cry,  and  send 
us  a  father  to  live  with  us  here  to  teach  us.  We  thank 
you  all  for  what  you  have  done  for  us,  and  for  sending  us 
the  Word  of  Life,  and  may  the  great  God  be  kind  to  you 
all.  We  feel  our  hearts  sore  when  we  think  of  you  all? 
and  the  praying-masters  that  are  here  :  we  pray  for  you 
and  for  them,  and  shall  still  do  so." 

These  letters,  as  might  be  expected,  were 


164    THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

read  with  great  interest  by  the  Committee; 
and  our  readers  will  be  glad  to  find  that,  after 
some  little  time,  they  felt  themselves  enabled 
to  answer  the  appeal. 

In  the  meantime  the  departure  of  Mr.  Jones 
left  the  colony  more  destitute  than  before  ;  the 
care  of  the  four  churches  and  their  congrega- 
tions, extending  thirty  miles  along  the  river, , 
lay  entirely  on  Mr.  Cockran,  and  we  can  only 
thankfully  rejoice  that  he  was  enabled,  though 
"in  weariness  and  painf illness,"  to  continue 
thus  alone  at  his  post  for  fourteen  months,  till 
the  arrival  of  the  Eev.  "W.  Smithurst  in  the 
autumn  of  1839. 

Except  in  summer,  when  boats  could  pass 
up  and  down  the  river,  the  communication  be- 
tween the  Eapids  and  the  Indian  settlement 
was  at  this  time  very  difficult.  There  was  no 
road  for  the  latter  half  of  the  distance ;  and 
though,  in  winter,  Mr.  Cockran  could  ride 
with  safety  along  the  frozen  surface  of  the 
stream,  in  spring  and  autumn  this  course  was 
scarcely  practicable.  Often  the  surface  would 
thaw,  and  freeze  again  with  a  deceitful  crust 


INDIAN  VILLAGE.  165 

of  ice,  too  thin  to  bear  his  weight,  and  at 
every  step  his  horse's  feet  would  sink,  through 
several  inches  of  water,  to  the  unthawed  mass 
below,  while  the  half-thawed,  half-freezing  mud 
upon  the  banks  was  still  more  perilous. 

Though  undeterred  by  these  or  any  other 
difficulties,*  his  progress  was,  of  course,  fre- 
quently delayed ;  but  his  congregations  never 
seem  to  have  been  weary  of  waiting  for 
him,  and  on  one  occasion  he  tells  us  that  he 
found  on  his  arrival  they  had  been  four  hours 
in  the  church. 

An  occasional  Sunday  service  was  all  that 
Mr.  Cockran  could  now  give  to  the  people  of 
the  Indian  Tillage ;  yet,  notwithstanding  the 

*  Speaking  of  his  Sundays  in  the  winter  of  this  and  other 
years,  he  says : — "  I  leave  home  with  my  heart  glowing  with 
love,  and  with  a  desire  to  praise  God  and  proclaim  the  mes- 
sage of  salvation  to  my  fellow-creatures.  I  ride  on  ;  a  snow- 
etorin  drifting  in  my  face  almost  blinds  my  horse  and  my- 
self, my  hands  and  my  feet  are  benumbed,  my  face  perhaps 
blistered  with  the  intensity  of  the  frost — the  chill  reaches 
the  heart,  and  I  seem  to  have  lost  all  spiritual  feeling.  But 
when  I  hear  two  hundred  voices  joining  to  sing  the  praises 
of  Him  whom  lately  they  knew  not,  my  heart  grows  warm 
again ;  I  remember  His  promise  who  has  said,  c  I  will  never 
leave  thee  nor  forsake  thee ;'  and  I,  too,  can  rejoice  in  Him." 


166    THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

scantiness  of  the  means  of  grace,  evidences 
were  not  wanting  that  that  Holy  Spirit,  who, 
"  like  a  dew  from  the  Lord,  tarrieth  not  for 
man  nor  waiteth  for  the  sons  of  men,"  was 
still  carrying  on  his  work  among  them. 

One  case  was  that  of  a  young  man  who  had 
for  some  time  been  under  the  influence  of  re- 
ligion, and  who  now  lay  on  his  dying  bed. 
Mr.  Cockran  asked  him — 

" '  Joseph,  what  do  you  wish  me  to  do  for  you  ?'  '  I 
have  sent  for  you,  sir,  to  pray  for  me  just  here,'  pointing 
to  his  bedside.  '  When  I  was  strong  and  could  go  to 
church,  I  felt  happy  in  the  worship  of  God ;  and  as  long 
as  I  could  kneel  down  here  and  pray,  I  found  my  heart 
light :  but  now  I  cannot  rise,  my  heart  is  heavy  and  cold 
as  ice,  and  I  fear  it  is  not  well  with  me.'  *  Do  you,' 
asked  Mr.  Cockran,  c  believe  that  the  Son  of  God  is  able 
and  willing  to  save  you  ?J  *  Yes,  entirely,'  answered  the 
youth ;  '  and  it  is  by  looking  to  Him  that  my  heart  has 
been  drawn  away  from  the  world  ;  and  I  now  rejoice  that 
I  am  going  out  of  it.  In  heaven  I  shall  be  near  God,  and 
He  will  make  me  happy.  I  sometimes  feel  a  little  afraid 
when  I  think  of  the  change,  but  I  say  to  myself  that 
Jesus  is  there,  and  He  will  call  me  to  come  near  Him ; 
and  then  all  my  fears  go.' " 

More  conversation  of  the  same  kind  ensued, 
till  a  poor  woman  who  was  present,  quite 


INDIAN  VILLAGE.  167 

overcome,  hid  her  face  in  her  blanket,  and  be- 
gan to  sob,  crying  out,  "  Oh,  I  would  give  the 
whole  world  if  I  could  have  such  a  hope  on 
my  dying  bed !" 

On  the  20th  of  September,  1839,  to  the 
great  joy  of  Mr.  Cockran,  Mr.  Smithurst  ar- 
rived to  take  charge  of  this  congregation; 
and,  anxious  to  enter  on  his  work  without  de- 
lay, he  took  up  his  abode  at  once  in  an  unfin- 
ished dwelling,  which  had  been  begun  for  him 
near  the  church. 

Mr.  Cockran  assembled  the  people  to  intro- 
duce their  new  minister,  and  to  bid  them  fare- 
well as  no  longer  his  own  flock.  Drawing  a 
picture  of  their  former  state,  he  called  on 
them  to  compare  with  it  their  present  condi- 
tion, led  them  to  consider  the  free  mercy  of 
God  in  Christ  Jesus,  and,  deeply  affected  him- 
self, drew  tears  from  Mr.  Smithurst  and  most 
of  the  congregation. 

Mr.  Smithurst  was  surprised  and  encour- 
aged by  the  state  in  which  he  found  the 
village.  The  congregation  was  serious  and 
devout,  the  school  was  regularly  attended,  and 


168         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

the  children  were  quiet  and  orderly  in  their 
general  conduct.  There  were  now  ninety- 
eight  in  the  day-school,  and  on  Sundays  these 
were  joined  by  fifty-eight  adults.* 

Mr.  Cook,  the  schoolmaster,  had  regularly 
met  as  many  of  the  people  as  could  come,  for 
reading  the  Scriptures  and  for  prayer,  every 
evening  in  the  school-room ;  and  another  man, 
Peter  Carrigel,  instructed  the  elder  boys  at  his 
own  house.  It  was  pleasant  also  to  find,  that 
when  the  men  were  absent  on  a  hunting  or 
fishing  expedition,  it  was  their  constant  prac- 
tice to  return  home  on  the  Saturday  and  go 
back  on  the  Monday  (thus  losing  three  days 
in  every  week),  if  within  reach ;  or  if  too  dis- 
tant, they  would  spend  the  Sunday  together, 
reading  the  church  service,  singing  hymns, 
and  talking  over  passages  of  the  Bible. 

"We  might  here  introduce  details  /rom  Mr. 

*  One  of  these  was  an  old  woman,  who  had  attended 
regularly  for  six  years,  without  having  yet  accomplished 
learning  the  alphabet ;  yet  she  would  not  give  it  up ;  and 
some  time  after  told  Mr.  Smithurst  with  great  joy  that  she 
now  knew  all  the  letters  except  three  !  A  good  example  of 
perseverance  to  those  with  better  opportunities, 


INDIAN  VILLAGE.  169 

Smithurst's  journal,  which  would  enable  our 
readers  to  realize  somewhat  of  every-day  life 
on  the  banks  of  the  Eed  Eiver.  We  could 
tell  of  the  candles  for  his  use  being  made  on 
the  premises,  of  his  corn  being  threshed  on  the 
frozen  river,  of  the  store  of  provisions  laid  in 
in  autumn  for  himself,  his  farm-servants,  and 
the  passing  stranger ;  no  less  a  quantity  than 
2000  pounds  of  dried  buffalo  meat,  and  a  still 
larger  proportion  of  beef  and  mutton,  which 
had  to  be  frozen  before  it  was  stored  up,  as  it 
would  be  eight  months  before  fresh  meat 
could  be  again  procured. 

Or  we  might  describe  our  missionary's  early 
rides'*  on  Sunday  mornings  to  take  the  service 
at  the  Eapids,  while  Mr.  Cockran  undertook 
the  Upper  and  Middle  Churches ;  sometimes 
through  storm  and  snow,  his  shoes  freezing  to 
the  stirrup,  and  icicles  of  frozen  breath  hang- 
ing round  his  horse's  mouth ;  or  sometimes, 
on  a  brighter  winter  morning,  filled  with  ad- 
miration as  he  rode  through  woods  of  aspen, 

*  Mr.  Smithurst  had  employed  some  of  the  people  i» 
making  a  road  along  the  banks  of  the  river. 


170         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

birch,  and  poplar,  whose  stems  and  larger 
branches,  catching  the  rays  of  the  rising  sun, 
shone  like  burnished  gold,  while  the  icicles  on 
the  smaller  twigs  sparkled  like  diamonds. 

In  summer  it  was  a  different  scene  that  met 
his  view:  the  trees  were  clothed  with  their 
varied  foliage,  and  adorned  with  a  vast  profu- 
sion of  wild  roses ;  while  here  and  there,  be- 
tween their  stems,  the  river  was  seen  pursuing 
its  onward  course.  And  for  the  last  five  miles 
the  open  country  was  covered  with  flowers  of 
every  form  and  hue,  among  which  the  bril 
liant  yellow  lady's  slipper  was  the  most  con- 
spicuous. 

There  was  one  feature  in  the  prospect  that 
never  varied.  In  all  seasons,  and  in  all  wea- 
thers, no  sooner  did  our  Sunday  traveller 
come  out  upon  the  plains  than  he  saw  persons 
gathering  from  all  quarters,  some  on  foot, 
some  in  their  carioles,  hastening  even  at  this 
early  hour  to  the  church ;  for  the  congregation 
had  so  outgrown  the  place  for  its  assembling, 
that  those  who  did  not  reach  it  an  hour,  or 


INDIAN  VILLAGE.  171 

sometimes  two  hours,  before  tlie  time  of  ser- 
vice could  find  no  admittance.* 

But  we  must  not  wander  from  the  Indian 
Village ;  and  we  have  better  things  to  speak 
of  there  than  pleasant  rides  and  brilliant  flow- 
ers— even  those  things  that  accompany  salva- 
tion, but  our  limits  will  only  allow  of  our 
mentioning  two  of  these. 

The  first  relates  to  the  good  old  chief,  Pig- 
wys,  the  reality  of  whose  Christian  principles 
was  about  this  time  put  to  a  severe  test.  Our 
readers  will  remember  the  undutiful  conduct 
of  his  eldest  son,  and  the  subsequent  removal 
of  this  young  man  to  a  distance.  He  had 
continued  in  his  heathen  state,  still  opposed  to 
Christianity,  when  in  the  winter  of  this  year 
his  father  was  overwhelmed  with  the  intelli- 
gence that  this  son,  still  so  dearly  loved,  had, 
in  an  agony  of  grief  for  the  loss  of  one  of  his 
own  children,  committed  suicide. 

Pigwys  sent  for  the  body,  and,  clinging  to 

*  There  would  at  this  time  have  been  from  700  to  800 
attendants  at  public  worship  at  the  Rapids,  had  there  been 
room:  the  number  of  communicants  was  145. 


172         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

his  child  even  in  death,  requested  that  it  might 
be  interred  in  the  churchyard,  close  to  the 
spot  he  had  chosen  for  his  own  grave.  It  was 
difficult  to  refuse  him,  but  the  missionaries 
felt  that  they  had  no  alternative ;  they  soften- 
ed, however,  the  refusal  as  much  as  possible, 
by  stating  their  reasons,  and  offering  that  it 
should  be  buried  just  beyond  the  boundary. 

The  feelings  of  the  poor  father  were  deeply 
wounded,  but  after  a  short  pause,  during 
which,  doubtless,  pride  and  parental  affection 
were  struggling  with  higher  principles,  he 
acknowledged  that  they  were  right,  and  with 
a  touching  gentleness  submitted  to  the  disap- 
pointment. 

The  corpse  had  been  prepared  after  the  In- 
dian customs,  sewed  up  in  a  blanket,  with  the 
hunting,  fishing,  and  war  implements  of  the 
deceased ;  the  face  was  painted  red,  red  feath- 
ers were  in  the  hair,  beads  in  the  nose  and 
ears,  and  a  necklace  round  the  neck.  As  soon 
as  it  arrived,  the  chief  had  it  stripped  of  every 
badge  of  heathenism  and  put  into  a  coffin, 
and  employed  Christian  bearers  to  carry  it  to 


INDIAN  VILLAGE.  173 

the  ground.  It  was  in  January;  the  wind 
was  blowing  a  hurricane,  the  air  was  darkened 
with  drifting  snow,  the  thermometer  stood  at 
8°  below  zero,  and  Mr.  Smithurst,  who  could 
see  the  whole  proceedings  from  his  window, 
concluded  that  as  soon  as  the  grave  was  cov- 
ered in,  the  party  (for  many  heathen  relations 
had  come  to  attend  the  funeral)  would  disperse. 
But  they  still  stood  round  the  grave,  and  pres- 
ently he  saw  that  the  Chief  was  addressing 
them  with  great  earnestness ;  the  faith  and  love 
of  the  good  old  man  rose  above  his  grief,  and 
he  was  taking  advantage  of  the  solemn  occa- 
sion to  invite  his  unbelieving  countrymen  to 
Christ. 

The  other  incident  refers  to  some  of  the 
boat's  crew  who  had  in  the  preceding  autumn 
brought  Mr.  Smithurst  from  York  Fort  to  Nor- 
way House.  They  were  seven  in  number, 
and  all  were  heathens;  the  voyage  lasted 
twenty-one  days,  and  fain  would  our  mission- 
ary have  spoken  to  them  of  the  things  that 
would  make  for  their  eternal  peace,  but  they 
did  not  understand  English,  and  he  had  no 


174         THE  RAINBOW  IN  1HE  NORTH. 

interpreter.  All  lie  could  do  was  to  pray  for 
them.  In  the  course  of  the  voyage  one  of 
them  was  taken  suddenly  ill,  and  appeared  to 
be  dying. 

"I  cannot,"  writes  Mr.  Smithurst,  "describe  my  feel- 
ings ;  we  were  a  hundred  miles  from  any  human  habita- 
tion— I  knew  he  was  a  heathen,  I  believed  he  was  expir- 
ing in  my  arms,  and  I  was  unable  to  say  one  word  to 
him,  or  to  point  him  to  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away 
the  sins  of  the  world.  With  uplifted  eyes  he  surveyed 
the  blue  expanse  of  heaven,  and  uttered  a  piercing  shriek, 
which  told  of  suffering  without  hope.  If  ever  I  prayed 
sincerely,  it  was  that  God  would  spare  him  till  he  should 
hear  the  Gospel,  and  I  heartily  thank  the  Father  of  mer- 
cies that  He  heard  my  prayers.  I  gave  him  some  medi- 
cine I  had  with  me,  and  the  disease  abated ;  but  during 
the  rest  of  the  voyage  he  was  unable  to  do  anything,  and 
I  was  obliged  to  attend  to  him  myself  till  we  reached 
Norway  House." 

At  Norway  House  Mr.  Smithurst  parted 
with  his  companions,  and  though  we  cannot 
doubt  but  that  these  men  were  often  remem- 
bered by  him  at  a  throne  of  grace,  yet  he  prob- 
ably never  expected  to  see  them  again  in  the 
flesh. 

But  early  in  the  next  year  (1840),  he  was 
told  that  two  Indians  wished  to  speak  to  him, 


INDIAN  VILLAGE.  175 

and  to  his  surprise  and  pleasure  lie  found  they 
were  part  of  his  former  crew,  and  that  one  of 
them  was  the  very  man  who  had  been  so  ill. 
He  took  the  opportunity  of  thanking  them 
for  all  the  kindness  they  had  shown  him  on 
the  voyage,  and  was  affected  by  their  answer- 
ing, "  that  they  knew  he  had  come  to  teach  their 
countrymen  the  way  of  life,  and  felt  therefore 
that  they  ought  to  do  all  they  could  for  him." 
One  of  them,  it  seemed,  had  visited  the  In- 
dian Village  in  the  preceding  winter,  and  what 
he  then  heard  from  Mr.  Cockran  so  impressed 
him,  that  he  had  given  up  his  heathen  prac- 
tices for  some  time  past.  They  had  now  both 
of  them  come  from  Norway  House  (800 
miles)  to  put  themselves  regularly  under 
Christian  instruction.  After  due  time  Mr. 
Smithurst  baptized  them.  "  Little,"  says  he, 
"  did  I  think,  while  travelling  those  600  miles 
with  them,  that  they  would  be  the  first  In- 
dians I  should  baptize !  How  mysterious  are 
Thy  ways,  0  Lord  of  Hosts!  0  merciful 
Father,  keep  them  both  by  Thy  grace  through 
faith  unto  life  eternal." 


176         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  N011TH. 

A  few  weeks  later  Mr.  Smithurst  had  the 
privilege  of  baptizing  another  of  the  crew, 
who  had  also  come  down  for  the  purpose  ;  so 
that  now  three  of  the  seven  for  whom  he  had 
so  anxiously  prayed,  were  Christians. 

The  occasion  of  his  son's  funeral  was  far 
from  being  the  only  instance  of  Pigwys'  en- 
deavors to  lead  his  own  people  to  Christianity. 
We  have  before  spoken  of  his  anxiety  on  this 
point  (page  157) ;  and  in  September,  1840,  he 
convened  a  general  meeting  of  all  the  Saul- 
teaux  in  the  neighborhood  upon  the  subject, 
and  invited  Mr.  Smithurst  to  accompany  him. 

The  men  seated  themselves  in  a  circle,  and 
the  Chief,  Mr.  Smithurst,  and  an  interpreter, 
stood  in  the  midst.  The  Missionary  first  ad- 
dressed them,  setting  before  them  the  leading 
truths  of  the  Gospel, — the  fall — the  conse- 
quent corruption  of  human  nature — the  re- 
demption offered  to  fallen  men  through  the 
merits  and  death  of  the  Saviour, — assuring 
them  that  there  was  "no  other  name  under 
Heaven  given  whereby  we  must  be  saved/ 
Pigwys  followed,  and  spoke  for  nearly  an 


INDIAN  VILLAGE.  177 

hour,  with  great  energy  and  eloquence.  He 
urged  them  to  attend  to  the  message  of  salva- 
tion, to  send  their  children  to  the  school,  and 
to  come  themselves  to  church ;  telling  them, 
that  in  addition  to  his  prospects  for  eternity, 
his  temporal  condition  was  greatly  improved, 
and  his  mind  was  at  peace. 

But  the  Saulteaux  continued  unmoved,  and 
not  one  of  the  whole  assembly  was  willing  to 
follow  the  example  of  their  Chief  and  the  few 
others  of  their  tribe  who  had  joined  the  Crees 
at  the  Indian  Village. 

We  will  here  introduce  a  few  words  from 
our  Missionary's  Journal,  written  in  the  first 
spring  after  his  arrival  at  his  station  : — 

."  1840.  May  4  and  5. — In  heart  with  friends  at  home, 
—thought  of  this  time  last  year,  and  longed  to  be  among 
them,  but  remembered  that  here  is  the  reality  of  the  work. 
There  is  more  in  seeing  what  God  has  done,  than  in  hear- 
ing about  it  from  others. 

"  May  6.— The  Meeting  of  the  Bible  Society.  Here 
are  the  poor  Indian  children,  reading  the  very  Bibles  the 
Society  supplied  me  with  twelve  months  ago !" 

The  account  of  the  Indian  Village  has  so 
engrossed  us,  that  we  seem  to  have  almost  lost 
23 


178         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

sight  of  the  Eapids  ;  but  it  is  not  really  so ;  and 
if  space  permitted,  we  might  continue  at  some 
length  the  history  of  the  work  of  grace  there, 
that  we  began  in  our  fourth  chapter.  "We  must, 
however,  content  ourselves  with  two  instances. 
Eeturning  from  the  Middle  Church  one 
Sunday  afternoon,  Mr.  Cockran  fell  in  with 
one  of  his  people,  whose  son  had  gone  on  a 
long  journey  near  to  the  Eocky  Mountains. 
He  entered  into  conversation  with  him,  and 
was  thankful  to  find  the  spirit  in  which  they 
had  parted  from  each  other.  The  father  earn- 
estly pressed  upon  the  young  man  the  impor- 
tance of  reading  the  Bible  as  often  as  he  had 
opportunity,  and  of  never  omitting  to  pray  at 
least  twice  in  the  day. 

"  My  son,"  said  he, "  as  long  as  you  have  lived  at  home, 
you  have  seen  me  pray ;  you  have  gone  to  church  and 
heard  that  God  is  love.  When  you  go  through  the  plains 
you  will  no  longer  see  me  praying,  you  will  no  longer  be 
told  of  your  God  and  Saviour.  There  you  will  meet 
with  men  whose  hearts  are  cruel,  who  would  like  to  drive 
an  arrow  through  your  heart,  take  the  scalp  from  your 
head,  and  drink  your  blood.*  My  son,  when  night  comes 

*  This  was  no  imaginary  danger,  for  even  several  year* 


INDIAN  VILLAGE.  179 


on,  before  you  close  your  eyes  in  sleep,  ask  y/mr  God  to 
look  on  you,  and  spread  his  hand  over  you  ;  for  that  you 
are  alone,  far  from  home,  and  have  no  other  friend  but 
Him.  When  morning  comes,  ask  Him  to  go  with  you 
on  your  way,  to  turn  bad  men  on  one  side,  that  they  may 
not  meet  you.  Never  forget  that  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  cleanseth  from  all  sin.  Trust  in  it ;  God  has  ac- 
cepted it  for  your  soul,  and  through  it  you  and  I  shall 
meet  in  heaven." 

The  father  added  to  Mr.  Cockran : — 

"My  heart  was  light  when  I  saw  my  son  take  his 
Bible  and  some  tracts,  and  when  he  squeezed  my  hand 
with  tears  in  his  eyes,  and  said,  *  I  will  remember  Him 
who  is  over  all  till  we  meet  again.'  " 

The  other  was  a  little  girl,  who  was  burnt 
by  one  of  those  destructive  fires  with  which 

later  the  Missionary  at  the  Cumberland  Station  (to  which  we 
shall  shortly  introduce  our  readers)  writes  : — 

"Feb.  12,  1849. — During  last  summer  about  forty  Plain 
Indians  were  killed  by  war  parties  on  the  banks  of  this 
very  river  on  which  we  are  residing  (the  Saskatchewan). 
On  one  occasion,  nineteen  Black -Feet  Indians  came  to  the 
Urea  camp,  near  Fort  Pitt,  and  being  perceived  by  the 
Crees,  the  alarm  was  given.  The  Crees  immediately  sprang 
to  their  horses,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  the  whole  nineteen 
of  the  Black-Feet  Indians  were  killed ;  their  scalps  floating 
in  the  air,  suspended  to  long  poles ;  their  hands  and  feet 
hung  to  the  tails  and  necks  of  the  horses ;  and  the  women 
mutilating  the  bodies  in  the  most  shocking  manner." 


180         THE   KAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

the  prairies  of  North  America  are  not  unfre- 
quently  visited.*  One  of  these  occurred  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  Eapids,  in  October, 
1839.  Driven  by  a  strong  soft  wind  it  came 
rolling  impetuously  along  the  plain,  like  a  sea 
of  fire,  the  flames  curling  over  the  outstand- 
ing stacks  of  hay  and  corn,  and  spreading  de- 
solation for  miles  around.  Much  property 
was  destroyed,  and  several  persons  narrowly 
escaped  the  flames,  but  this  poor  little  girl  and 

*  The  burning  of  the  prairies  is  spoken  of  as  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  and  sublime  scenes  in  the  country.  These 
prairies  sometimes  extend  for  hundreds  of  miles,  and  arc 
covered  with  grass  ;  where  this  is  thin  and  short,  as  on  the 
more  elevated  lands,  the  fire  creeps  on  slowly,  giving  the 
animals  time  to  escape,  but  sometimes  the  flames  are  driven 
forward  by  a  strong  wind  over  prairies  where  the  grass  is 
seven  or  eight  feet  high,  and  are  then  most  terrific,  often  de- 
stroying whole  parties  of  Indians,  though  on  their  fleetest 
horses.  Not  that  the  fire  travels  as  fast  as  a  horse  at  full 
epeed,  but  the  grass  is  so  entangled  with  creeping  plants  that 
grow  among  it,  that  the  only  way  of  getting  through  is  by 
following  the  zigzag  paths  of  the  deer  and  buffalo.  Some- 
times too  the  dense  cloud  of  smoke  that  is  swept  before  the 
fire  alarms  the  horse,  and  he  stands  terrified  and  immova- 
ble, till  the  pieces  of  burning  grass,  tossed  by  the  wind,  fall 
before  him,  and  in  a  moment  new  fires  burst  out  all  around. 

The  Indians  believe  these  fires  to  be  kindled  by  supernat- 
ural means.  "  Over  this  beautiful  plain,"  said  one  of  them 


INDIAN  VILLAGE.  181 

her  mother  and  two  sisters  were  overtaken  by 
them,  and  so  severely  burnt  that  they  all  died 
in  the  course  of  a  few  days.  This  child  was 
the  last  survivor ;  she  had  always  loved  in- 
struction, and,  young  as  she  was,  had  given 
evidence  of  piety,  and  now  in  her  last  ex- 
tremity she  knew  where  to  find  rest  for  her 

to  Mr.  Catlio,  when  entering  upon  one  of  these  magnificent 
prairies,  "dwells  the  spirit  of  fire.  He  rides  on  yonder 
cloud ;  his  face  blackens  with  rage  at  the  sound  of  the  tramp- 
ling hoofs  ;  the  fire-bow  is  in  his  hand ;  he  draws  it  across 
the  path  of  the  Indian,  and,  quicker  than  lightning,  a  thou- 
sand fires  rise  to  destroy  him."  They  had  proceeded  some 
distance,  when  Red  Thunder  (for  such  was  the  name  of  this 
Indian)  began  to  show  signs  of  anxiety ;  he  threw  himself  on 
the  ground,  presently  started  up,  and  looked  anxiously 
around,  again  threw  himself  down  and  lay  with  his  face  to 
the  earth.  After  a  little  he  sprang  again  to  his  feet,  and 
stretching  out  his  arm  exclaimed  with  vehemence,  "  White 
man,  see  that  small  cloud  rising  from  the  prairie !  He 
rises ! — our  horses'  hoofs  have  waked  him  ;  the  Fire  Spirit  is 
awake,  this  wind  is  from  his  nostr  ils,  and  his  face  is  towards 
us !"  They  flew  to  their  horses,  and  urged  them  to  their 
utmost  speed, — the  fire  gained  upon  them, — it  was  like  the 
roar  of  a  distant  cataract.  The  frightened  eagle  flew 
screaming  over  their  heads ;  the  heath-hen  followed  on 
Blower  wing,  and  the  antelope  and  long-legged  hare  bounded 
past  them,  escaping  for  their  lives.  They  strained  every 
sinew,  and  reached  the  barren  bluff  only  just  in  time,  res- 
cued from,  as  it  were,  a  sea  of  fire. — Abridged  from  Catlin. 


182          THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

soul.  During  several  days  of  suffering  her 
only  comfort  was  in  prayer ;  every  one  who 
came  to  see  her,  she  would  ask  to  pray  with 
her ;  and  when  Mr.  Cockran  came  to  her  she 
would  ask  him  to  talk  to  her  "  about  heaven, 
where  the  saints  of  God  serve  Him  day  and 
night — where  my  father  and  my  little  sisters 
are,  and  where  I  expect  soon  to  see  them." 

She  afterwards  begged  Mr.  Cockran,  and 
those  about  her,  to  sing  to  her  "  Jesu,  lover  of 
my  soul,"  to  the  tune  it  was  sung  to  in  the 
church ;  and  her  request  having  been  complied 
with,  she  said,  "  I  cannot  now  kneel,  I  am 
obliged  to  lay  on  my  back  day  and  night ;  but 
be  so  kind  as  to  pray  for  me,  and  ask  God 
not  to  be  angry  with  me,  but  to  pardon  all 
my  sins  through  His  dear  Son,  and  to  take 
me  to  heaven." 

Mr.  Cockran  commended  her  to  God  in 
iprayer  and  thanksgiving,  and  shortly  after  her 
tappy  spirit  .fled. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THREATENED  REDUCTION  OF  THE  MISSION- 
VISIT  OF  THE  BISHOP  OF  MONTREAL — DE- 
PARTURE OF  THE  REV.  W.  COCKRAN. 

"Whether  one  member  suffer,  all  the  members  suffer 
with  it ;  or  one  member  be  honored,  all  the  members  rejoice 
with  it.  Now  ye  are  the  body  of  Christ,  and  members  in 
particular." — 1  COR.  xii.  26,  27. 

THE  year  1842  opened  brightly  on  the 
mission-field  in  Rupert's  Land.  We  have 
seen  the  state  of  the  Indian  Village,  and  of 
the  congregation  at  the  Rapids ;  and  those  of 
the  Upper  and  Middle  Churches  had  contin- 
ued also  to  go  on  well.  Nor  was  it  only  that 
the  stakes  of  this  spiritual  tabernacle  were 
thus  strengthened,  she  had  likewise  length- 
ened her  cords;  a  new  station  had  been  formed 
on  Cumberland  Lake ;  and  the  Rev.  A.  Cow- 
ley,  who  arrived  in  1841,  had  availed  himself 
of  an  apparent  opening  on  the  Lake  Manitoba. 


184         THE   RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

The  only  drawback  was  the  state  of  Mr. 
Cockran's  health.  The  Committee  at  home 
had  frequently  urged  him  to  pay  a  visit  to  his 
native  land,  that  he  might  recruit  his  strength 
and  refresh  his  spirits.  This  he  had  stead- 
fastly declined, — fearing,  he  said,  lest  the 
comforts  of  an  English  home  should  with- 
draw his  affections  from  his  few  poor  sheep  in 
the  wilderness.  But  at  last  his  declining 
health  had  induced  him  to  request  permission 
to  withdraw  altogether  from  the  work,  and  he 
was  only  waiting  to  hear  of  the  appointment 
of  a  successor  before  he  should  retire  with 
his  family  to  Canada. 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  our  Missionaries 
received  the  unexpected  and  overwhelming 
intelligence  that,  in  consequence  of  the  finan- 
cial difficulties  of  the  Society,  their  Missions 
on  the  Eed  Eiver  must  be  reduced,  and  the 
out-stations  abandoned.  It  is  not  easy  to 
conceive  how  heavily  this  blow  fell  on  the 
hearts  of  these  devoted  men,  who  were  spend- 
ing their  lives  and  strength  in  the  work. 
Must,  then,  all  the  ground  that  had  been  so 


THREATENED  REDUCTION  OF  MISSION.     185 

hardly  won  be  given  up  again  ?  Must  these 
few  sheep-  who  had  been  gathered  into  the 
fold  be  driven  back  into  the  wilderness  of 
Heathenism,  or  the  poisonous  pastures  of 
4  Popery  ?  They  could  not  bear  to  think  of  it. 
Mr.  Smithurst  writes : — 

"  If  our  friends  at  home  did  but  know  the  anxiety  your 
letter  has  caused,  I  am  sure  they  would  redouble  their  ef- 
forts to  provide  a  remedy.  Were  the  Indians  averse  to 
instruction,  or  did  we  see  no  fruit  from  our  labors,  wo 
might  relinquish  our  posts  with  less  regret ;  but  our 
churches  are  crowded,  our  schools  are  crowded,  and  the 
cry  is  (from  the  Crees  more  especially),  c  Send  us  more 
teachers ;  give  us  the  word  of  God.'  " 

Mr.  Cockran's  appeal  was  still  stronger : — 

"  Thousands  of  pounds  are  not  equal  to  the  value  of 
one  soul,  and  for  this  shall  we  abandon  our  Missions  ? 
Oh,  no,  dear  Christian  friends;  we  must  not  so  soon 
weary  in  keeping  possession  for  Christ ;  we  must  occupy 
till  He  come.  He  who  wept  over  Jerusalem  is  surely 
ready  to  weep  over  us,  when  such  a  thought  enters  our 
hearts.  He  seems  to  say  to  us  from  heaven,  'Have  I 
not  redeemed  you  ?  Have  I  not  prepared  a  mansion  for 
you  in  my  Father's  kingdom  ?  Why  regard  your  stuff? 
Is  not  the  land  where  God  dwells  your  own,  and  is  not 
He  Himself  your  portion  ?  Will  ye,  then,  suffer  My 
cause  to  fail  from  love  of  this  world  ?'  "* 

*  See  how  any  diminution  of  the  income  of  the  Society  is 


186         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

Nor  did  the  Missionaries  content  themselves 
with  words;  they  endeavored,  by  the  most 
rigid  economy  and  self-denial,  so  to  reduce  the 
expenses  of  the  Missions  as  to  avert  the  threat- 
ened blow.  Mr.  Cockran  gave  up  for  the 
present  his  intention  of  removing  into  Canada, 
and  as  he  received  a  small  stipend  from  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  as  chaplain,  deter- 
mined to  make  that  suffice  ;  and  for  two  years 
forbore  to  draw  from  the  Church  Missionary 
Society  the  portion  of  his  salary  due  from 
thence,*  though  we  find,  from  some  of  his 
neighbors,  that  by  so  doing  he  and  his  family 
were  subjected  to  privations  not  often  experi- 
enced even  by  industrious  cottagers  at  home. 

By  the  good  providence  of  Him  in  whose 
hands  are  the  hearts  of  all,  the  income  of  the 

felt  in  its  most  distant  missions !  And  let  us  individually 
remember,  that  by  withdrawing  our  own  annual  sovereign 
or  weekly  penny,  we  are  ourselves  bearing  a  part  in  causing 
this  distress. 

*  This  was  not  the  first  instance  of  the  kind,  for  a  similar 
reduction  of  the  Mission  had  been  contemplated  some  years 
before,  and  we  find,  in  consequence  of  this,  the  following  en- 
try among  the  benefactions  of  June,  1830 : — 
*  Rev.  W.  Cockran,  arrears  of  salary  which  had  accumulated 

during  four  years       .  £54  Ss.  OdL" 


VISIT  OF  THE  BISHOP  OF  MOtfTKEAL.      187 

Society  increased  again  during  the  year ;  and 
the  letters  received  in  1843  relieved  the  minds 
of  the  Missionaries  from  their  suspense  of 
twelve  months,  and  enabled  them  to  pursue 
their  work  with  fresh  energy. 

In  the  summer  of  1844  the  hearts  of  our 
brethren  were  cheered  and  their  hands  strength- 
ened, by  a  visit  from  the  Bishop  of  Montreal, 
who,  with  a  kindness  and  self-forgetfulness 
which  can  scarcely  be  too  warmly  appreciated, 
undertook  a  journey  of  twice  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  miles  in  an  open  canoe  for  the 
benefit  of  this  infant  Mission. 

His  route  lay  across  the  Lakes  of  Nipissin 
and  Huron,  along  the  treacherous  waters  of 
Lake  Superior,  and  then  through  rivers  ren- 
dered almost  impassable  by  frequent  cataracts 
and  rapids,  till,  after  thirty-eight  days  of  ex- 
posure and  fatigue,  he  entered  Lake  Winnipeg, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Eed  Eiver,  on  June 
the  22d. 

We  will  not  spoil  the  interesting  account 
of  this  expedition,  which  the  Bishop  allowed 
to  be  published,  by  attempting  to  abridge  it ; 


188         THE  KAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

we  will  only  make  a  few  extracts,  which  will 
throw  additional  light  upon  our  subject. 

It  was  Saturday  when  he  and  his  little  party 
entered  the  lake,  and  they  hoped  to  reach 
the -Indian  Village  before  nightfall;  but  a  vio- 
lent storm  obliged  them  to  lay  to  under  the 
banks,  and  they  did  not  arrive  till  Sunday 
morning,  after  a  night  of  weariness  and  dis- 
comfort. The  Bishop  then  proceeds : — 

"  It  was  about  nine  o'clock,  and  within  half  an  hour  of 
the  time  for  Divine  Worship.  The  sight  that  greeted  us 
was  one  that  can  never  be  forgotten  by  me,  and  the  recol- 
lection will  always  be  coupled  with  feelings  of  devout 
thankfulness  to  God,  and  warm  appreciation  of  the  bless- 
ings conferred  by  the  Church  Missionary  Society.  After 
travelling  for  above  a  month  through  an  inhospitable  wil- 
derness, and  meeting,  at  intervals,  with  such  specimens 
of  the  heathen  savage  as  I  have  described,  we  came  at 
once,  and  without  any  intermediate  gradations  in  the 
aspect  of  things,  upon  the  establishment  formed  on  the 
low  margin  of  the  river  for  the  same  race  of  people  in 
their  Christian  state ;  and  on  the  morning  of  the  Lord's 
own  blessed  day  we  saw  them  already  gathering  round 
their  pastor,  who  was  before  his  door,  the  children  collect- 
ing in  the  same  manner  with  their  books  in  their  hands. 
All  were  decently  clothed  from  head  to  foot,  and  there 
was  a  repose  and  steadiness  in  their  deportment,  the 
seeming  indication  of  a  high  and  controlling  influence  on 


VISIT  OF  THE  BISHOP  OF  MONTREAL.      189 


their  characters  and  hearts.  Around  were  their  humble 
dwellings,  with  the  commencement  of  their  farms ;  cattle 
were  grazing  in  the  meadows ;  the  modest  parsonage, 
with  its  garden,  and  the  simple  but  decent  church,  with 
the  school-house  as  its  appendage,  forming  the  leading 
objects  in  the  picture,  and  carrying  on  the  face  of  them 
the  promise  of  blessing.  We  were  amply  repaid  for  all 
the  toils  and  exposure  of  the  night.  My  chaplain  natu- 
rally felt  as  I  did ;  and  my  servant,  an  Englishman,  to 
whom  everything  in  the  journey  was  new,  told  me  after- 
wards that  he  could  hardly  restrain  his  tears.  Nor  was 
it  a  worthless  testimony  that  was  rendered  by  one  of  our 
old  voyageurs,  a  French  Canadian  Roman  Catholic,  when, 
addressing  my  servant,  he  said,  *  There  are  your  Chris- 
tian Indians ;  it  would  be  well  if  all  the  whites  were  as 
good  as  they  are.' 

"We  were  greeted  by  Mr.  Smithurst  at  the  water's 
edge ;  and  having  refreshed  ourselves  under  his  roof,  we 
proceeded  to  church.  There  were,  perhaps,  two  hundred 
and  fifty  present,  all  Indians;  and  nothing  can  be  more 
reverential  and  solemn  than  the  demeanor  and  bearing  of 
these  people  in  public  worship.  Their  costume  has  a  hy- 
brid kind  of  character,  partly  European  and  partly  Indiaru 
The  women,  for  the  most  part,  still  wear  the  blanket,  or 
else  a  piece  of  dark  cloth  thrown  over  the  head,  with  the 
hair  parted  smoothly  on  the  forehead.  All  wear  mocca- 
sons,  as  do  the  missionaries,  and  almost  all  the  Europeans 
in  the  colony. 

"The  Morning  Service  is  in  English,  but  the  Lessons 
are  rendered  into  the  Indian  tongue  by  Mr.  Cook,  the 
schoolmaster,  who  also  rendered  my  sermon  sentence  by 
sentence. 


190         THE  RAINBOW   IN  THE  NORTH. 


"  The  Evening  Service  is  in  the  Indian  language,  which 
Mr.  Smithurst  has  mastered  to  a  considerable  degree,  but 
the  Lessons  are  read  as  in  the  Morning.  About  two  thirds 
of  the  congregation  are  said  to  understand  a  simple  ad- 
dress in  English ;  and,  as  far  as  this  settlement  is  con- 
cerned, the  time,  I  conceive,  is  fast  approaching  when  no 
other  language  will  be  required.  But  let  it  be  hoped  that 
instruction  will  be  carried  far  and  wide  to  men  of  other 
tongues. 

"I  visited  the  Sunday-school,  and  found  a  large  attend- 
ance. Mr.  Smithurst  made  the  more  advanced  read  to 
me  in  the  Bible,  and  then  examined  them  in  the  Catechism 
and  the  Thirty-nine  Articles.  The  amount  of  their  knowl- 
edge was  greater  than  I  could  have  expected ;  and  from 
all  that  I  could  gather,  the  Crees  appear  to  be  a  thinking 
and  intelligent  tribe. 

"  After  the  Evening  Service  the  church  was  shut  up 
by  an  old  Indian,  acting  as  a  sort  of  sexton,  who  had  for- 
merly been  a  noted  sorcerer  or  medicine  man.  The  day 
altogether  was  one  of  extraordinary  interest ;  and  if  the 
scenes  which  it  presented  could  have  been  witnessed  by 
friends  of  the  Society  at  home,  they  would  have  needed 
no  further  appeal  to  ensure  their  liberal  support." 

The  Bishop  then  speaks  of  the  confirmations 
he  held  at  each  of  the  four  churches.  The 
number  of  the  confirmed  amounted  in  the 
whole  to  eight  hundred  and  forty-six,  and 
would  have  been  about  one  thousand  had  not 
many  of  the  candidates  been  absent;  some 
were  engaged  in  the  buffalo  hunt  on  the  prai- 


VISIT  OF  THE  BISHOP  OF  MONTREAL.      191 

ries,  and  others  were  gone  with  the  annual 
boats  to  York  Fort. 

He  held  preparatory  meetings  of  the  candi- 
dates at  each  of  the  different  stations,  and  ex- 
presses himself  as  greatly  satisfied  with  the 
result.  He  speaks  particularly  of  one  at  the 
Eapids,  where  he  says, — 

"  I  was  much  struck  by  the  correct  and  serious  deport- 
ment of  about  seventy  young  girls,  who  were  brought 
together  without  their  mothers  or  elders  of  any  kind  to 
restrain  them ;  and  I  could  not  help  thinking  that  it  would 
have  been  difficult  to  collect  the  same  number  in  an  Eng- 
lish parish  who  would  have  preserved  the  reverence 
which  these  girls  did,  even  in  the  vacant  intervals  before 
end  after  the  service,  and  during  the  calling  over  of  their 
names  by  Mr.  Cockran." 

Mr.  Cowley  came  from  Manitoba  Lake  to 
receive  priest's  orders;  and  the  Bishop  or- 
dained Mr.  M'Allum,  then  in  charge  of  a 
school  at  the  Upper  Settlement,  both  deacon 
and  priest.  Altogether,  he  spent  seventeen 
days  in  the  colony ;  and,  speaking  of  its  gene- 
ral state,  he  says : — • 

"  It  was  truly  a  very  interesting  spectacle  to  behold 
the  churches  filled  at  the  confirmation,  and  at  the  other 


192         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 


public  services,  by  a  people  thus  brought  under  the  yoke 
of  the  Gospel,  the  great  body  of  whom  have  Indian  blood 
in  their  veins,  and  most  of  whom  were  originally  heathens ; 
and  the  interest  was  indescribably  heightened  by  the  deep 
attention  with  which  they  listened,  and  the  devotion  with 
which  those  who  were  confirmed  knelt  to  receive  the  im- 
position of  hands  ;  the  comfortable  hope  shedding  its  ray 
over  the  solemnity,  that  they  did  in  sincerity  devote  them- 
eelves  to  Christ. 

"  I  must  not,  however,  be  understood  to  mean  that  in  all 
the  pleasing  pictures  I  have  given,  the  old  Adam  does  not 
anywhere  lurk  in  disguise,  nor  to  express  an  unqualified 
hope  that  among  those  who  now  re-enrolled  themselves  as 
soldiers  of  the  Cross  there  will  not  be  instances  of  morti- 
fying inconsistency,  perhaps  of  unhappy  defection :  the 
Indians  have  strong  passions,  and  are  often  thrown  into 
circumstances  unfavorable  to  holiness  :  but,  allowing  for 
the  necessary  intermixture  of  tares  with  the  wheat,  I  be- 
lieve that  the  congregations  at  the  Red  River  may  be 
called  exemplary ;  and  that  the  Church  has  taken  root  in 
the  colony,  with  the  fairest  prospect  of  a  continuance  and 
increase  of  blessed  fruits  of  a  practical  kind."* 

This  visit  of  the  Bishop  had  been  most 
welcome  to  the  whole  colony,  and  the  inhabit- 
ants vied  with  each  other  in  showing  him  all 

*  The  Bishop  confirms  what  has  been  remarked  by  other 
travellers  as  to  the  superiority,  in  the  steady  and  correct 
habits  of  the  people,  of  the  Protestant  portion  of  the  colony 
over  the  Roman  Catholic  population,  and  does  not  hesitate 
to  attribute  it  to  the  difference  of  their  religion. 


VISIT  OF  THE  BISHOP  OF  MONTREAL.     193 

possible  attention.  He  received  addresses  of 
thanks  from  the  Clergy,  from  the  Protestant 
inhabitants  generally,  and  a  special  one  from 
the  Indian  congregation. 

"  We  were,"  he  says,  "  loaded  with  presents :  several 
of  the  Indian  women  were  busy,  up  to  the  last  moment, 
in  finishing  for  us  some  little  token  of  remembrance,  and 
we  received  some  beautiful  specimens  of  their  work 
either  in  beads,  or  in  dyed  hair  of  the  moose  deer,  or  in 
porcupine  quills.  One  woman,  with  the  peculiar  modesty 
of  manner  so  general  among  the  Indians,  came  forward 
just  as  I  was  stepping  into  my  canoe  with  a  simple  bark 
basket  of  her  own  workmanship." 

The  Indian  Village,  as  it  had  been  the  first, 
so  it  was  the  last  spot  which  the  Bishop  vis- 
ited. In  the  morning  of  July  10,  Pigwys  and 
his  wife,  men,  women,  and  children,  gathered 
round  to  bid  adieu  to  their  "  Great  Praying 
Father;"  and  the  Bishop  set  out  on  his  fa- 
tiguing voyage  again,  followed  by  the  prayers 
and  blessings  of  the  whole  community. 

It  had  been  just  before  this  visit  from  the 

Bishop,  that  Mr.  Cockran  had  had  an  affecting 

proof  of  the  attachment  and  kindness  of  his 

own  people  at  the  Eapids.    A  fire  broke  out 

13 


194         THE   RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 


upon  Ms  premises,  which  speedily  consumed 
the  barn  filled  with  wheat ;  cow-houses,  stables, 
fences,  were  all  destroyed;  and  the  house, 
which  was  of  wood,  and  thatched  with  reeds, 
would  have  shared  the  same  fate,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  exertions  of  the  neighbors.  The 
wind,  too,  providentially  changed,  and  their 
dwelling  was  preserved.  Several  persons 
watched  all  night,  lest  a  spark  should  be  hid- 
den in  the  thatch ;  and  the  next  day  Mr. 
Cockran  found  a  number  of  them  making 
plans  to  repair  the  mischief,  with  as  little  loss 
as  possible  to  himself.  Some  promised  to  bring 
logs,  others  would  contribute  posts,  many  en- 
gaged to  come  and  work ;  while  another  party 
assured  him  that  he  should  not  feel  the  want 
of  wheat,  for  that  they  would  supply  him. 
Governor  Finlayson  also  called  to  offer  him 
everything  he  could  want  to  repair  this  calam- 
ity ;  and  the  sympathy  and  kindness  they  ex- 
perienced enabled  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cockran  to 
rejoice  even  in  their  losses. 

The  church  at  the  Eapids,  as  we  have  al- 
ready said,  was  now  far  too  small  for  the  con- 


THE  NEW  CHUKOH.  195 

gregation,  not  more  than  three-fourths  of 
whom  could  find  admittance,  and  the  school 
children  could  never  be  present.  Mr.  Cock- 
ran,  looking  forward  to  the  future,  determined 
to  make  an  effort  to  build  a  new  one  of  stone, 
instead  of  wood,  which  should  be  large 
enough  for  the  increasing  wants  of  the  settle- 
ment. Accordingly,  he  called  a  meeting  of 
the  people. 

"  Silver  and  gold,"  he  writes,  "  they  had  none  ;  but 
stoned,  lime,  shingles,  boards,  timber,  and  labor  were 
cheerfully  promised,  to  an  extent  that  perfectly  astonished 
me.  The  shingle-makers  proposed  to  give  ten  thousand 
shingles  each,  the  lime-burners  each  four  hundred  bush- 
els, and  boards  and  timber  were  promised  in  the  same 
liberal  manner.  One  black  curly-head,  descended  by  his 
father's  side  from  the  sons  of  Ham,  stood  up  in  his  leath- 
ern coat,  and  said,  'I  will  help  to  the  amount  of  £10. 
The  eyes  of  all  were  turned  upon  him,  and  I  saw  a  smile 
upon  every  face.  I  said,  '  I  believe  our  brethren  think 
that  you  will  not  be  able  to  raise  such  a  sum.'  Raising 
his  arm  he  exclaimed, <  Here  is  my  body :  it  is  at  your  ser- 
vice. It  is  true  I  cannot  square  a  stone,  nor  lay  one,  but 
there  will  be  the  floor  and  the  roof :  turn  me  to  them,  and 
you  will  see,  if  God  gives  me  life  and  health,  if  I  will  not 
work  out  the  value.'  " 

In  the  summer  of  1845  the  new  church 


196    THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

was  begun,  but,  notwithstanding  the  efforts  of 
the  people,  Mr.  Cockran  found  his  resources 
beginning  to  fail,  when  he  was  greatly  relieved 
by  the  unexpected  donation  of  fifty  pounds 
from  one  of  the  officers  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company ;  and  soon  after,  his  son,  who  was 
now  in  England  for  education,  sent  him  thirty 
pounds,  which  had  been  collected  for  him  by 
a  clergyman  at  home. 

All  this  while  there  was  no  improvement  in 
the  health  of  our  Missionary ;  and  now  the 
time  arrived  when  he  was  to  leave,  as  he  be- 
lieved forever,  the  scene  of  his  labors  for  so 
long  a  period,  and  his  people  were  to  part 
from  one  who  had  for  seventeen  years  been 
their  pastor,  their  adviser,  their  friend,  and  to 
whom,  under  God,  they  owed  every  temporal 
and  spiritual  blessing. 

The  Eev.  E.  James  was  expected  in  the 
autumn  of  1846,  and  Mr.  Cockran  was  obliged 
to  leave  the  Eapids  in  the  preceding  June. 
Mr.  Cowley,  who  had  come  from  his  own 
station  to  take  the  temporary  charge  of  this, 
thus  writes : — 


DEPAETUKE  OF  KEY.  W.  COCKRAtf.  197 


"Sunday,  June  14. — The  trying  hour  was  come. 
Never  do  I  expect  to  forget  the  last  look  which  some 
of  the  people  gave  their  pastor,  as  they  retired  from  the 
church,  where,  from  its  first  erection,  they  had  heard  the 
voice  of  him  whom  they  now  should  hear  no  more. 
Their  hearts  were  too  full  for  utterance ;  and  the  only 
expression  they  could  give  to  their  feelings  was  a  flood 
of  tears,  as  each  came  up,  embraced  his  hand,  and  turned 
away  without  a  word. 

"  June  15. — Early  all  was  bustle,  the  dawn  was  seized 
upon  for  prayer.  Before  breakfast  was  over  the  canoe 
was  in  sight.  It  was  too  early  for  a  large  crowd  to  as- 
semble to  try  his  feelings  by  another  farewell,  yet  a  con- 
siderable number  awaited  him  at  the  water's  edge,  and 
received  his  final  blessing.  My  own  spirits  were  over- 
come, and  my  inmost  soul  was  pierced." 

In  October,  the  Eev.  E.  and  Mrs.  James  ar- 
rived; and  we  would  transcribe  Mr.  James's 
account  of  his  surprise  ar.d  pleasure,  as  he 
came  up  the  river,  at  the  sight  of  the  Indian 
Village,  with  its  happy-looking  inhabitants 
and  merry  children,  greeting  him  as  he  passed 
along,  were  it  not  that  it  would  be  almost  a 
repetition  of  the  description  given  by  the 
Bishop  of  Montreal. 

Nor  was  he  less  pleased  with  his  own  im- 
mediate charge — the  Eapids.  One  thousand 
eight  hundred  people  were  now  scattered  along 


198         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

an  extent  of  twelve  miles;  the  old  church 
more  than  filled,  the  new  one  was  progressing, 
and  the  number  of  communicants  had  in- 
creased to  a  hundred  and  fifty. 

Mr.  James  carried  on  with  zeal  and  energy 
the  work  begun  by  his  predecessor;  and  as 
we  turn  over  the  pages  of  his  Journal,  and 
read  of  one  soul  and  another  brought  to  a  con- 
cern for  their  eternal  welfare,  or  watch  the  last 
hours  of  many  a  rejoicing  believer,  we  are 
tempted  to  enter  more  fully  into  detail. 

But  the  number  at  the  head  of  this  chapter 
warns  us  to  forbear ;  for  we  have  stile  to  lay 
before  our  readers  the  history  of  distant  sta- 
tions, and  after  a  few  brief  notices  of  the  next 
three  years  on  the  banks  of  the  Eed  Eiver, 
we  intend  in  the  two  following  chapters  to 
carry  them  to  Cumberland  and  Manitoba  Lakes. 

One  passage,  however,  we  must  transcribe 
from  Mr.  James's  Journal,  not  only  as  a  testi- 
mony to  our  former  Missionary,  but  as  an 
instance  of  the  way  in  which  a  generous  mind 
will  appreciate  the  work  of  others : — 

"January  20,  1847.— Thermometer,  47°  below  zero. 


DEPARTURE  OF  REV.  W,  COCKRAN.   199 


Cold  intense,  yet  my  ride  to  the  Indian  settlement  was  not 
uncomfortable.  The  roads  were  delightful,  and  as  I 
dashed  along  their  glassy  face  my  thoughts  were  neces- 
sarily carried  back  to  the  time  when  things  looked  so 
different ;  when  Mr.  Cockran  could  with  difficulty  thread 
his  way  through  the  tangled  wood,  when  there  were  no 
neat  cottages  on  this  hand  or  that;  no  traveler's  Chris- 
tian greeting,  no  distant  view  of  sheltering  parsonage  or 
house  of  God.  Literally  nothing  to  cheer  the  way  of 
that  devoted  man  whose  zeal  nothing  could  tire,  whose 
*  patience  of  hope'  was  never  exhausted,  before  whose 
resolve  every  obstacle  gave  way,  and  whose  success  is 
neither  thirty,  nor  sixty,  but  an  hundred-fold,  even  in  this 
present  life." 

Mr.  Cockran  had  retired  to  Toronto,  where 
the  rest  and  freedom  from  responsibility  were 
blessed  to  the  partial  restoration  of  his  health ; 
his  heart  was  still  among  his  former  flocks, 
and  in  1847  he  gladly  responded  to  an  invita- 
tion from  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  to  un- 
dertake the  chaplaincy  of  the  Upper  Church 
and  settlement. 

There  he  still  is,  and  there  may  he  long 
remain,  to  proclaim  the  Gospel  that  he  loves, 
and  to  witness  to  the  faithfulness  of  God,  who 
has  promised,  "As  thy  days,  so  shall  thy 
strength  be." 


200         THE   RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

We  must  not,  however,  leave  the  Eed  Kiver, 
without  mentioning  a  Missionary  Meeting  that 
was  held  in  the  church  at  the  Eapids  on 
Dec.  2,  1847. 

It  was  a  day  of  great  interest,  for  it  was  the 
first  public  meeting  that  had  ever  been  held 
in  Eupert's  Land ;  and  people  came  from  all 
quarters  to  hear  of  the  work  of  God  among 
other  heathen  nations*  They  had  hitherto 
known  very  little  on  the  subject;  but  grounds 
of  appeal  could  not  be  wanting  to  a  people  on 
whom  the  Society  had  for  the  last  twenty-seven 
years  been  conferring  such  inestimable  bene- 
fits, and  who  were  still  continually  reminded 
of  what  they  had  themselves  once  been,  by  the 
sound  of  the  conjurer's  drum  and  melancholy 
shout  whenever  any  of  the  heathens  encamped 
in  their  neighborhood. 

Everything  they  heard  surprised  and  moved 
them:  many  an  eye  was  moist,  and  though 
they  were  again  suffering  from  two  years  of 
scarcity,  yet  "the  abundance  of  their  joy  and 
their  deep  poverty  abounded  unto  the  riches 
of  their  liberality ;"  and  the  collection,  beyond 


DEPARTURE  OF  REV.   W.   COCKRAN.      201 

all  expectation,  amounted  to  10?.  9s.  2d :  51. 
was  also  collected  here,  and  51.  18s.  \d.  at  the 
Middle  Church  on  the  following  Sunday — al- 
together, 21?.  75.  3d. ;  a  large  sum  under  all 
the  circumstances  of  the  case,  though,  as  one 
good  old  man  said,  "It  was  all  too  little  to 
offer  to  the  Society,  but  it  was  a  beginning, 
and  he  hoped  the  Society  would  forgive  them 
for  not  stirring  sooner." 

Three  weeks  afterwards,  a  man,  who  had 
literally  no  money  in  his  possession  at  the  time, 
brought  Mr.  James  five  shillings,  the  first  he 
had  received  since  the  day  of  the  meeting. 

We  shall  only  return  to  the  Eed  Eiver  to 
give  a  brief  account  of  its  present  state. 

"We  shall  close  the  chapter  by  mentioning 
the  circumstances  that  led  to  the  opening  of  a 
Mission  at  Cumberland. 

Anxiety  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  their 
relations  and  countrymen  had,  from  the  first, 
been  a  characteristic  feature  in  the  Christians 
at  the  Eed  Eiver ;  we  have  seen  how  this  feel- 
ing manifested  itself  among  the  converts  at  the 


202          THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

Kapids,*  and  those  at  the  Indian  Village  soon 
showed  the  same  earnest  desires. 

Among  the  settlers  there,  were -several  fam- 
ilies from  the  neighborhood  of  Cumberland 
Lake,  whose  hearts  expanded  towards  their 
former  companions  in  the  wilderness;  their 
conversion  was  the  frequent  subject  of  their 
prayers,  they  took  every  opportunity  of  send- 
ing them  some  awakening  message,  and  the 
answers  to  these  messages  were  so  encourag- 
ing that  it  was  at  length  decided  to  send  a 
laborer  to  the  spot. 

The  ordained  Missionaries  could  neither  of 
them  be  spared,  but  it  was  thought  that  a  na- 
tive Catechist  might  prepare  the  ground  by 
opening  a  school,  and  giving  the  people  some 
elementary  instruction,  and  it  only  now  re- 
mained to  seek  for  a  fitting  agent. 

How  far  this  search  was  successful,  our  next 
chapter  will  show. 

*  Page  56. 


CHAPTER  X. 

CUMBERLAND    STATION. 

"The  desert  shall  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose."— 
ISAIAH  xxxv.  1. 

Do  our  readers  remember  the  two  boys 
mentioned  in  our  second  chapter,  who,  dirty, 
wild,  and  ignorant,  had  been  brought  by  Mr. 
West  to  Eed  Kiver  in  his  own  boat?  The 
simple  prayer  from  their  stammering  lips  had 
been  heard  and  answered ;  they  were  among 
the  four  whom  Mr.  West  baptized  before  his 
return  to  England  ;*  and  both  of  them  gave 
evidence  of  being  Christians  indeed. 

John  Hope,  as  one  of  them  was  called,  had 
settled  at  the  Indian  Village,  and  was  leading 
a  quiet  and  consistent  life;  and  the  other, 
Henry  Budd,  was  now  the  person  fixed  on  by 
the  Missionaries  to  lay  the  foundation  of  this 
*  Pages  21  and  28. 


204         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

new  station.  After  lie  left  the  Indian  school 
under  Mr.  Jones,  lie  had  gone  into  the  service 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  but  quitted  it 
in  1837,  intending  to  settle  at  the  Eapids, 
where  he  might  have  the  privilege  of  a  regu- 
lar ministry.  Mr.  Jones,  however,  invited  him 
to  take  charge  of  a  school  at  the  Upper  Set- 
tlement, where  he  evinced  a  steadfastness  of 
principle  and  intelligence,  of  mind  that  marked 
him  out  as  fitted  for  a  more  responsible  situa- 
tion ;  and  it  was  accordingly  arranged  that  he 
should  be  sent  to  Cumberland.  He  had, 
moreover,  the  advantage  of  belonging  to  tho 
same  tribe  (the  Crees),  and  would  not  there- 
fore have  a  new  dialect  to  acquire. 

He  set  out  in  the  summer  of  1840,  accom- 
panied by  his  wife  and  mother,  for  to  him  it 
was  given  to  see  a  parent  brought  to  Christ^ 
and  after  a  voyage  of  between  400  and  500 
miles,  through  lakes  and  rivers,  arrived  safely 
at  the  scene  of  his  future  labors. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  convey  an  idea  of 
the  desolation  that  met  their  view, — a  wide- 
spread lake,  bordered  with  swamps,  and  shut 


CUMBERLAND  STATION.  205 

in  on  all  sides  by  a  forest  of  unknown  extent. 
There  were,  of  course,  no  signs  of  cultivation, 
and  a  few  Indian  tents  were  the  only  human 
habitations.  The  banks  of  the  lake  afforded 
no  spot  on  which  they  could  fix  their  abode, 
but  they  found  a  few  patches  of  dry  ground 
upon  an  island,  on  which  Mr.  Budd  pitched 
the  tent,  and  hastened  to  provide  some  more 
substantial  dwelling  for  the  winter. 

This  was  no  easy  task ;  there  was  no  wood 
fit  for  building  within  several  miles,  and  he 
had  no  cattle  to  bring  it  from  a  distance ;  nor 
was  there  any  one  to  assist  him  in  the  erection 
of  a  house  except  the  boat's  crew  who  had 
brought  him  here,  and  they  must  not  tarry 
long,  lest  the  approach  of  winter  should  hin- 
der their  return.  But  the  once  untaught  In- 
dian lad  had  become  as  diligent  and  persever- 
ing in  temporal  as  in  spiritual  things  ;  partly 
by  persuasion,  and  partly  by  giving  some  of 
his  own  clothes  in  payment,  he  at  last  pre- 
vailed on  a  few  of  the  Indians  to  assist  him, 
and  before  the  winter  set  in  he  had  succeeded 
in  erecting  a  small  log-house  for  his  own  fam* 
18 


206    THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

ily,  another  for  his  hoped-for  school,  and  a 
third  to  serve  as  a  store-house.  This  last  was 
a  very  necessary  appendage  to  their  dwelling ; 
for,  knowing  that  no  food  could  be  procured 
there  but  by  fishing  or  shooting,  the  Mission- 
aries at  the  Bed  Eiver  had  supplied  them  not 
only  with  domestic  utensils,  tools,  &c.,  but 
with  as  much  flour  and  pemican  as  would, 
they  hoped,  be  sufficient  for  them  till  the 
rivers  should  again  be  open,  and  they  could 
send  them  a  fresh  supply. 

Cumberland  Lake  is  a  favorite  resort  of  the 
Crees;  the  fish  is  plentiful,  and  there  is  a 
trading-post  of  the  Company  on  its  banks ; 
and  though  the  Indians  never  remained  long 
stationary,  yet  a  considerable  number  might 
at  times  be  collected  together.  Their  recep- 
tion of  Mr.  Budd  was  very  friendly,  and  from 
the  first  they  showed  so  much  desire  for  in- 
struction, that  when  absent  from  the  spot  a 
few  of  them,  who  were  within  reach,  would 
return  on  the  Sunday  to  attend  Divine  ser- 
vice ;  and  some  of  them  very  soon  placed  their 
children  under  his  care. 


CUMBERLAND  STATION.  207 

We  have  not  sufficient  details  of  tlie  next 
two  years  to  be  able  to  give  any  connected  ac- 
count of  the  progress  made  among  these  wild 
people ;  but  it  seems  that  our  Catechist  had, 
in  the  meantime,  moved  to  a  more  eligible 
spot,  called  the  Pas,  on  the  banks  of  the  Sas- 
katchewan Eiver,  where  he  had  begun  to  cul- 
tivate a  piece  of  land.  How  far  the  blessing 
1  of  God  rested  on  his  spiritual  labors  will  be 
best  judged  of  by  the  results. 

In  consequence  of  the  strong  desire  ex- 
pressed by  Mr.  Budd  for  a  visit  from  one  of 
the  Missionaries  at  Eed  Eiver,  Mr.  Smithurst 
left  the  Indian  Tillage  on  May  26,  1842,  and 
proceeded  along  the  western  shore  of  Lake 
Winnipeg  to  the  mouth  of  the  Saskatchewan 
Eiver.  His  boat  was  manned  by  ten  young 
men  of  his  own  congregation ;  and  those  of 
our  readers  who  remember  how  his  heart  was 
pained  and  his  spirit  stirred  during  his  voy- 
age from  York  Fort  to  Norway  House,*  will 
not  wonder  at  his  being  forcibly  struck  by 
the  contrast  between  his  former  and  his  pres* 
*  Page  174. 


208         THE  KAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

ent  circumstances,  surrounded  as  he  now  was 
with,  intelligent  Christians  with  whom  he 
could  hold  intercourse,  and  with  whom  he 
could  daily  unite  in  worshipping  their  com- 
mon God  and  Saviour,  and  enjoy  the  rest  and 
privileges  of  the  Sabbath.  He  thus  describes 
the  scene  on  one  of  these  occasions : — 

"  June  3. — At  our  evening  worship  I  was  seated  in  a 
small  tent  on  a  high  bank,  looking  over  the  wide  expanse 
of  water,  dotted  here  and  there  with  picturesque  pine-clad 
islands :  my  own  men  were  on  the  ground  by  my  tent- 
door,  and  behind  me  were  three  heathen  Indians  beside  a 
small  fire,  miserably  clothed  in  the  remains  of  an  old 
blanket,  contrasting  strongly  with  the  well-clad,  cheerful 
looking  Christians  of  my  own  party.  We  began  by  sing- 
ing, 

*  From  all  that  dwell  below  the  skies,' 

when  suddenly  the  whole  lake  and  islands  near  us  ap- 
peared enveloped  in  flame.  Almost  uninterrupted  flashes 
of  brilliant  lightning  glided  along  the  surface  of  the  lake, 
and  seemed  to  gather  round  the  tall  pines  with  which  the 
islands  are  covered.  The  peculiar  locality,  the  compan- 
ions by  whom  I  was  surrounded — the  voice  of  prayer  and 
praise  mingling  with  the  pealing  thunder,  the  roaring  of 
the  wind  among  the  trees,  and  the  dashing  of  the  waves 
against  the  rocks,  conspired  to  raise  feelings  I  cannot  des- 
cribe. It  was  probably  the  first  time  that  prayer  and 
praise  had  ever  ascended  from  that  little  island.  May 


CUMBERLAND  STATION.  209 


they  have  gone  up  as  incense,  acceptable  through  the  Be« 
loved !" 

In  the  hurry  of  setting  off,  Mr.  Smithurst 
had  omitted  to  tell  his  men  to  bring  their 
books  with  them,  and  was  not  a  little  pleased 
to  find  that  they  all  had,  of  their  own  accord, 
brought  their  Bibles  and  prayer-books,  and 
some  had  also  brought  their  hymn-books,  &c. 
Contrary  winds  and  stormy  weather  frequent- 
ly detained  them  for  hours,  and  sometimes  for 
days,  on  the  same  spot ;  and  it  was  a  pleasant 
sight  to  see  them  passing  their  leisure  time  in 
reading  and  committing  to  memory  a  hymn 
or  a  passage  of  Holy  Scripture.  Mr.  Smithurst 
remarks  upon  this  : — 

"  Had  I  been  travelling  in  England  with  ten  young 
people,  their  ages  varying  from  seventeen  to  thirty,  I 
doubt  if  I  should  have  seen  them  thus,  while  halting  by 
the  way,  refreshing  their  souls  with  the  words  of  Eternal 
Life.  O  that  the  Lord  would  pour  His  Spirit  upon  Britain, 
lest  in  the  last  great  day  the  poor  Indian  should  be  found 
to  have  improved  his  two  talents  better  than  she  has  done 
her  five." 

The  unfavorable  weather  made  this  voyage 
a  very  tedious  one,  and  they  had  some  dim- 
8* 


210         THE   RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

culty  in  ascending  the  Saskatchewan  Eiver. 
Sunday,  June  19,  was  spent  on  the  shores  of 
Cedar  Lake ;  and  Mr.  Smithurst  writes  :— 

"  This  is  the  third  Sunday  we  have  passed  in  this  west- 
ern wilderness,  far  from  the  abodes  of  civilized  men, 
where  day  after  day  passes  without  the  sight  of  any  human 
being.  Here  is  the  wide-spread  lake,  clothed  in  verdant 
foliage — the  lofty  cedar  and  towering  pine  raise  their 
heads  towards  heaven  in  majestic  grandeur — the  pelican, 
the  crane,  the  swan,  the  eagle,  and  the  other  feathered 
tribes,  show  forth  the  glory  of  their  great  Creator ;  woods 
and  rocks  echo  back  the  songs  of  praise  and  voice  of 
prayer:  but  no  human  tongue  unites  with  us  in  giving 
honor,  glory,  praise,  and  power  to  Him  who  died  for  us." 

The  voyage  lasted  twenty-six  days,  and  it 
was  not  till  Wednesday,  June  22d,  that  they 
reached  the  Pas.  The  first  sight  that  greeted 
them  was  a  party  of  school  children,  who,  as 
soon  as  they  espied  the  boat,  ran  down  in  the 
midst  of  a  pouring  rain  to  the  bank  of  the 
river,  to  welcome  the  "  white  praying-master ;" 
and  it  was  not  long  before  Mr.  Smithurst  found 
a  shelter  and  an  affectionate  greeting  beneath 
the  roof  of  Mr.  Budd. 

Almost  all  the  Indians  were  absent  deer- 
hunting  or  fishing,  but  on  the  afternoon  of 


CUMBERLAND  STATION".  211 

Saturday,  Mr.  Smitliurst  was  delighted  to  see 
a  whole  fleet  of  canoes,  containing  sixty  or 
seventy  persons,  making  their  way  down  the 
river.  It  was  a  pretty  and  a  joyful  sight  as 
the  Indians  jumped  ashore,  made  their  little 
boats  secure  for  the  night,  and  then,  after  sa- 
luting Mr.  Smithurst,  proceed  to  pitch  their 
tents  by  the  side  of  the  Missionary  dwelling. 
"Who  are  these  that  fly  as  a  cloud,  and  as 
doves  to  their  windows?" 

One  of  Mr.  Smithurst's  objects  in  visiting 
the  station  was  to  baptize  any  who  should  be 
prepared  for  the  sacred  rite,  but  his  mind  mis- 
gave him  when  he  found  how  large  a  numbei 
presented  themselves  as  candidates.  He  could 
not  imagine  that  so  many  could  be  properly 
prepared ;  and  knowing  that  the  Eoman  Catho- 
lic priests  had  from  time  to  time  visited  the 
neighborhood,  and,  without  giving  them  any 
instruction,  had  baptized  all  who  were  willing 
tying  a  metal  cross  round  their  necks,  and 
assuring  them  they  were  safe,  he  could  noi 
repress  the  fear  that,  notwithstanding  Mr 
Budd's  faithful  Scriptural  instruction,  some  of 


212         THE  RAINBOW   IN  THE  NORTH. 

the  people  must  have  imbibed  erroneous  views. 
During  Saturday  evening  and  the  early  part 
of  Sunday  morning,  he  examined  them  indi- 
vidually and  searchingly,  and  to  his  grateful 
satisfaction  found,  that  not  only  were  their 
minds  informed,  but  their  hearts  awakened. 
A  deep  sense  of  their  own  lost  state  by  nature 
—the  necessity  of  a  change  of  heart  by  the 
operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit — a  dependence  on 
Christ  alone  for  acceptance,  and  an  entire  re- 
nunciation of  all  self-dependence,  were  evident 
in  them  all ;  and  many  of  them,  when  speak- 
ing of  their  past  lives,  were  greatly  affected. 
Their  "hearts,"  they  said,  "were  so  sore  they 
were  ready  to  break  in  pieces/'  All  had  given 
up  their  heathen  practices,  regularly  attended 
every  means  of  grace  in  their  power,  and  had 
endured  considerable  opposition  from  their 
heathen  neighbors. . 

The  doubts  and  fears  which  had  harassed 
the  mind  of  Mr.  Smithurst  were  now  changed 
into  gratitude  and  joy,  as,  in  the  afternoon  of 
Sunday,  he  admitted  into  the  fold  of  Christ 
thirty-eight  adults  with  their  children, — eighty- 


CUMBERLAND  STATION".  213 

seven  in  the  whole, — thus  "called  out  of  dark* 
ness,"  and  brought  into  "marvellous  light." 
And  it  would  be  vain  to  attempt  to  describe 
the  glowing  thankfulness  with  which  Mr.  Budd 
must  have  witnessed  this  result  of  his  devoted 
and  self-denying  labors. 

The  next  day  Mr.  Smithurst  married  thir- 
teen couple,  and  expected  the  whole  party 
would  have  immediately  returned  to  their 
distant  hunting-grounds;  but  they  were  un- 
willing to  depart,  and,  though  short  of  food, 
lingered  on  till  Wednesday,  when  he  was 
obliged  to  leave  them ;  and  thankf  al  for  all  he 
had  seen  and  heard,  and  bidding  a  cordial 
"farewell"  to  Mr.  Budd,  he  set  out  on  his  re- 
turn. Floating  swiftly  down  the  river,  and 
having  a  fair  wind  on  Lake  Winnipeg,  he 
reached  his  home  in  seven  days  by  the  same 
route  that  had  taken  him  nearly  a  month  on 
his  way  to  Cumberland. 

Time  passed  on,  Mr.  Budd  continued  his 
work  of  faith  among  the  people ;  one  heathen 
family  after  another  joined  the  congregation, 
the  weekly  school  increased,  and  on  Sundays 


214         THE   RAINBOW  IN"  THE  NORTH. 

many  adults  assembled  to  learn  to  read,  and 
to  attend  Divine  service.  But  the  want  of  an 
ordained  minister  was  increasingly  felt,  and 
many  a  prayer  ascended  to  God,  and  urgent 
entreaties  were  sent  home,  that  this  boon  might 
be  conferred  upon  them ;  but  the  difficulties 
in  which  the  Society  was  then  placed*  pre- 
vented their  acceding  to  this  request  till  the 
year  1844. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Budd  had  been,  in  the 
summer  of  1843,  greatly  tried  by  the  arrival 
of  a  Eomish  priest,  who  came  with  the  undis- 
guised intention  of  drawing  away  the  people. 
He  erected  a  large  wooden  cross,  marked  out 
the  site  of  his  intended  house,  and  after  bap- 
tizing about  twenty  of  the  heathen  in  the  neigh- 
borhood (for  all  who  were  in  the  habit  of  at- 
tending Mr.  Budd's  instructions  stood  firm), 
returned  to  the  Eed  Eiver,  intending  to  come 
back  in  the  spring  to  take  up  his  permanent 
abode  there.  But  on  his  way  he  met  with  a 
fearful  death,  and,  thankful  as  our  catechist 
was  that  his  people  were  preserved  from  temp- 
*  Page  185. 


CUMBERLAND   STATION.  215 

tation  to  error,  lie  could  but  be  greatly  shocked 
at  the  manner  in  which  his  difficulties  were 
removed. 

In  August,  1844,  the  Eev.  J.  and  Mrs.  Hunter 
arrived  at  York  Fort,  and  lost  no  time  in  pro- 
ceeding to  the  Pas.  They  had  a  tedious  and 
uncomfortable  voyage  of  thirty-eight  days, 
sometimes  covered  with  fog  or  frost,  some- 
times drenched  with  rain,  and  more  than  once 
they  were  in  considerable  danger  from  the 
storms  on  Lake  Winnipeg. 

But  all  the  toils,  fatigues,  and  discomforts 
of  the  way  were  forgotten  when,  on  the  even- 
ing of  Sept.  26,  their  place  of  destination  came 
in  sight,  and  they  saw  forty  or  fifty  school 
children,  with  their  happy  faces,  running  down 
to  the  water 's  edge  to  give  them  the  same 
welcome  greeting  that  they  had  before  given 
to  Mr.  Smithurst.  Presently  the  men  appeared, 
and  as  Mr.  Hunter  contrasted  the  quiet  frank- 
ness of  their  manner  and  address  with  the 
heathen  he  had  seen  upon  his  route,  he  felt 
what  cause  there  was  for  thankfulness  and 
hope.  It  was  more  than  time  for  them  to  have 


216         THE   EAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

gone  to  the  hunting-grounds  to  get  food  and 
procure  furs,  wherewith  to  pay  for  the  clothing 
and  ammunition  they  had  purchased  from  the 
Company,  and  many  had  set  off  some  weeks 
before.  But  these  had  still  waited  from  day 
to  day,  hoping,  before  they  went,  to  see  their 
own  "white  praying-master,"  and  to  be  by 
him  admitted  into  the  visible  Church  of 
Christ. 

Thirty-one  adults  and  thirty-seven  children 
were  baptized  on  the  following  Sunday,  after 
an  examination  as  satisfactory  to  him  as  a 
similar  one  had  been  to  Mr.  Smithurst  two 
years  before.  The  candidates  came  up  to  the 
font  in  families,  fathers  and  mothers  giving 
up  themselves  and  their  children  to  the  ser- 
vice of  their  Lord,  while  the  frequent  tear  or 
the  loud  sob  testified  to  the  deep  emotion  with 
which  they  entered  into  covenant  with  their 
God. 

A  few  families  found  sufficient  food  in  the 
neighborhood  to  allow  of  their  remaining  at 
the  Pas  through  the  winter ;  but  the  rest  set 
off  to  their  distant  haunts,  and  Mr.  Hunter 


CUMBERLAND  STATION.  217 

grieved  to  think  how  long  a  time  would  elapse 
before  they  would  again  be  under  any  regular 
instruction.  But  it  was  pleasant  to  hear  them 
diligently  inquiring  the  exact  time  of  Christ- 
mas Day,  and  express  their  hopes  of  being 
then  within  reach  of  the  station  ;  and  he  found 
from  Mr.  Budd,  that  while  absent  they  never 
failed  to  keep  holy  the  Lord's  day,  besides 
having  frequent  prayer-meetings  among  them- 
selves. 

Nothing  could  be  much  more  comfortless, 
as  to  outward  things,  than  the  first  winter  that 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunter  spent  at  the  Pas.  Ex- 
cept a  few  things  they  had  brought  in  their 
own  boat,  they  had  been  obliged  to  leave  all 
their  furniture,  baggage,  and  English  stores 
behind  them  at  Norway  House,  and  there  was 
no  possible  way  of  getting  them  from  hence 
till  the  following  August.  Mr.  Budd  had 
used  every  effort  to  provide  a  dwelling  for 
them;  but  without  proper  timber,  and  with 
only  inexperienced  Indians  to  assist  him,  the 
best  habitation  he  had  been  able  to  construct, 
and  which  consisted  of  only  two  small  rooms, 


218          THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

was  so  imperfect  that  it  admitted  in  their  turn 
"  rain,  wind,  snow,  and  musquitoes." 

The  store  of  provisions  from  Eed  Eiver  (for 
though  Mr.  Budd  had  brought  some  land  into 
.cultivation,  it  yielded  but  a  small  proportion 
;of  what  was  required),  fell  short  before  the 
winter  was  half  over ;  the  school  children  lived 
for  five  months  exclusively  on  fish,  and  the 
Missionary  families  would  have  had  no  other 
food,  had  not  the  gentleman  in  charge  of  the 
nearest  fort  (above  a  day's  journey  off)  kindly 
spared  a  little  pemican  and  flour  from  his 
own  winter  store. 

But,  far  beyond  all  these  things,  was  the 
anxiety  they  felt  on  account  of  Mrs.  Hunter's 
state  of  health — far  as  she  was  from  all  civi- 
lized society,  and  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
most  common  comforts.  It  pleased  God,  how- 
ever, to  endue  them  both  with  a  large  rneas* 
«ure  of  patience  and  cheerful  contentment; 
Mrs.  Hunter  was  brought  safely  through  her 
trial,  .and  Mr.  Hunter  was  able  to  write : — 

"  Since  our  arrival  here  I  have  had  much  to  cheer  and 
encourage  me.  Of  difficulties,  trials,  and  privations  we 


CUMBERLAND  STATION.  219 


have  had  a  full  share ;  these,  however,  we  were  prepared 
to  find  in  this  secluded  spot.  But  when  I  look  at  the  num- 
ber of  Indians  I  have  been  permitted  to  baptize,  their  in- 
creasing desire  for  instruction,  and  the  general  consis- 
tency of  their  lives ;  when  I  think  also  of  the  number  of  _ 
Indians  from  all  quarters  who  came  to  visit  us  and  send 
us  their  children,  I  cannot  but  be  cheered,  and  look  on  all 
my  trials  as  nothing  compared  with  the  abundance  of  my 
joy.  Most  thankful  are  we  for  the  prayers  of  our  friends 
in  England,  they  have  not  been  in  vain."* 

Several  interesting  circumstances  occur 
from  time  to  time  in  the  journals  of  the 
station  at  Cumberland  Pas,  but  the  only  one 
we  shall  notice  is  the  baptism  of  an  Indian  of 

*  Mrs.  Hunter  did  not  long  live  to  share  her  husband's  la- 
bors, she  died  about  three  years  after  her  arrival  in  Rupert's 
Land.  Few  ladies  have  been  called  to  suffer  the  privations 
to -which  she  was  exposed,  but  none  could  have  borne  them 
with  a  more  uncomplaining  cheerfulness.  Her  end  was 
peace.  Taking  leave  of  her  husband  and  her  only  child,  her 
expression  was,  "  Dearly  as  I  love  you,  I  love  my  Saviour 
more."  And  truly  she  had  shown  that  love  by  her  endeav- 
ors to  bring  others  to  love  Him  too.  The  women  and  chil- 
dren of  the  congregation  were  her  peculiar  charge,  but  even 
the  young  men  would  sometimes  look  to  her  for  advice  and 
instruction,  One  of  the  last  times  she  is  mentioned  was  at 
Christmas  1846,  when  she  made  the  school  girls  very  happy 
by  a  treat  of  the  unwonted  luxuries  of  tea  and  cake,  and  by 
distributing  among  them  some  simple  presents  sent  her  for 
the  purpose  by  a  lady  in.  England.  Mr.  Hunter  has  since 
married  again. 


220         THE  KAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

the  name  of  Wetus.  He  was  the  son  of  a 
chief,  and  himself  held  some  kind  of  author- 
ity in  the  tribe.  His  parents  had  been  bap- 
tized by  a  Roman  Catholic  priest  when  he  was 
quite  a  child,  but  they  had  suffered  him  to  re- 
main a  heathen,  and  as  he  grew  up  he  became 
a  noted  conjurer. 

His  attention  had  been  drawn  to  Christian- 
ity from  the  time  of  Mr.  Budd's  first  arrival, 
and  he  was  so  far  moved  by  it  as  to  attend  at 
Divine  worship,  and  to  lay  aside  many  of  his 
heathen  practices.  He  even  encouraged  his 
people  to  examine  into  this  new  religion ;  he 
resisted  all  the  persuasions  of  his  heathen  and 
Roman  Catholic  relatives  to  persecute  the  con- 
verts, and  often  attended  their  prayer-meetings 
in  the  hunting-grounds. 

But  the  world  had  not  quite  lost  its  power ; 
the  position  he  held  among  the  heathen  was 
too  dear  to  him  to  be  as  yet  relinquished,  and 
he  continued  to  halt  between  two  opinions; 
till,  at  last,  by  the  grace  of  God,  the  snare 
was  broken,  and  he  was  enabled  to  range 
himself  on  the  Lord's  side.  On  Easter  Day, 


CUMBERLAND  STATION.  221 

1847,  lie  was  baptized  with  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren, and  received  the  name  of  Louis  Con- 
stant. 

From  that  time  he  has  continued  to  grow  in 
grace,  and  his  uprightness,  intelligence,  and 
piety  render  him  a  valuable  assistant  in  the 
work  of  religion  among  his  people.  He  and 
another  chief  named  Cook  are  indefatigable 
in  their  endeavors  to  lead  others  to  Christ, 
and  their  efforts  have  been  blessed  to  the 
bringing  in  of  several  heathen.* 

In  1845,  Mr.  Hunter  had  paid  a  visit  to  the 
Eed  Eiver,  where  not  only  was  his  spirit  re- 
freshed by  intercourse  with  his  brethren,  but 
the  sight  of  the  Indian  Tillage,  with-  its  little 
church,  its  white-washed  cottages,  and  its  fields 

*  Some  time  since  he  put  into  Mr.  Hunter's  hands  the  last 
relic  of  his  former  superstition.  It  is  a  roll  of  birch-rind, 
about  four  feet  long  and  nearly  a  foot  broad,  and  on  the  in- 
ner surface  are  scratched  with  some  pointed  instrument 
various  hieroglyphic  devices,  intended  to  mark  out  the 
straight  road  to  long  life  and  happiness.  This  road  is  guard- 
ed on  one  side  by  figures  of  the  sacred  goose,  and  on  the 
other  by  a  corresponding  row  of  the  heads  and  arms  of 
some  of  their  other  deities,  while  the  supposed  paths  of  the 
wicked  diverge  from  the  main  road  and  are  lost.  But  the 
whole  is  so  uncouth,  that  it  is  only  worthy  of  attention  as  a 


222         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

of  waving  corn,  encouraged  him  to  look  for- 
ward with  eager  hope  to  a  time  when  the 
banks  of  the  Saskatchewan  might  look  as 
bright  and  smiling. 

Nor  was  it  very  long  before  his  hope  began 
to  be  realized.  Gradually  the  Indians  became 
willing  to  exchange  their  erratic  habits  for  a 
more  quiet  and  civilized  life.  Several  of 
them  fixed  themselves  on  an  island,  which 
was  soon  covered  with  wheat,  barley,  pota- 
toes, turnips,  and  peas ;  and  five  little  dwellings 
were  shortly  after  erected  on  it.  Other  cot- 
tages were  grouped  round  the  Mission  House, 
and  some  were  built  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river,  near  the  spot  which  Mr.  Hunter  had 
fixed  upon  for  his  future  church. 

In  1848  we  read,  that  nearly  all  the  Indians 
who  frequented  the  Pas  had  put  themselves 

proof  of  the  extravagances  into  which  the  human  mind  is 
suffered  to  fall  when  it  has  departed  from  the  living  God. 
And  yet  it  cannot  rest  satisfied  without  a  guide,  real  or  self- 
created. 

Louis  Constant  told  Mr.  Hunter  that  he  used  to  regard 
this  roll  with  the  same  reverence  he  now  felt  for  his  Bible, 
but  that,  as  might  be  expected,  it  had  since  hia  conversion 
been  to  him  a  source  of  shame  and  sorrow. 


CUMBERLAND  STATION.  223 

under  Christian  instruction ;  four  hundred  and 
twenty-four  had  been  baptized,  and  though 
among  these  there  still  lingered  some  preju- 
dices and  superstitions,  yet  they  were  all  more 
or  less  adorning  their  profession  by  holy  and 
consistent  lives. 

In  summer  there  were  often  as  many  as  four 
hundred  at  public  worship  ;  there  were  fifty- 
seven  communicants,  some  of  whom,  if  absent 
at  Christmas  or  at  Easter,  would  return  on 
foot*  from  a  distance  of  one  or  two  hundred 
miles,  to  gather  round  the  table  of  the  Lord. 

A  spirit  of  piety  and  devotion  was  culti- 
vated in  their  families — their  social  and  do- 
mestic comforts  increased;  and  could  we  by 
some  magic  power  transport  ourselves  to  the 
shores  of  the  Saskatchewan,  we  should  see 
that  there,  as  everywhere  else,  godliness  has 
the  promise  of  the  life  that  now  is  as  well  as 
that  which  is  to  come.  If  our  visit  were  in 
winter,  we  would  cross  the  frozen  river  with 
our  Missionary  and  his  wife,  enter  some  of 
the  cottages,  and  compare  with  some  dirty  In- 
*  With  their  strange-looking  snow-shoes. 


224:    THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

dian  tent  the  scene  that  would  greet  us  here — 
the  bright  fire,  the  clean  and  comfortable 
room,  the  family  gathered  round  the  cheerful 
hearth,  and  thankfully  rejoicing  in  their  alter- 
ed circumstances.  Or  if  we  made  a  summer 
flight,  we  might  stand  at  the  close  of  some 
calm  day  at  the  door  of  the  Mission  House, 
and  listen  while  we  heard  on  the  nearer  shore 
a  father  conducting  the  devotions  of  the  fam- 
ily ;  or,  borne  across  the  water  from  the  far- 
ther bank,  in  the  stillness  of  the  evening  air 
our  ears  would  catch  the  sound  of  many 
voices  mingling  in  praises  to  Kedeeming  Love. 
We  shall  have  occasion  to  refer  once  more 
to  this  station  at  Cumberland  Pas  before  we 
close  our  history. 


CHAPTER  XL 

LAC  LA  RONGE — MOOSE  LAKE. 

"  From  you  sounded  out  the  word  of  the  Lord,  not  only 
in  Macedonia  and  Achaia,  but  also  in  every  place  your  faith 
to  God-ward  is  spread  abroad." — 1  THESS.  i.  8. 

THE  rays  of  heavenly  truth  that  had  pene- 
trated to  the  neighborhood  of  Cumberland 
Lake  did  not  stop  there ;  they  travelled  on- 
ward through  the  dense  forest  and  extended 
plain;  and  it  shall  be  our  present  object  to 
trace  somewhat  of  their  farther  progress. 

The  Cumberland  Indians,  in  their  various 
expeditions,  frequently  met  with  people  from 
different  places,  and  of  other  tribes.  To  these 
they  would  speak  of  Christ  and  His  salvation ; 
and,  led  by  their  example  and  persuasion,  per- 
sons from  various  quarters  often  arrived  at  the 
Mission  Station  to  hear  what  "  this  new  thing" 
might  be. 

15 


226          THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

One  of  the  earliest  of  these  inquirers  was  a 
chief  named  Heche  Hookemow,  from  Lac  la 
Bonge,^  four  hundred  miles  to  the  north-west 
of  Cumberland.  No  Missionary,  or  even  na- 
tive catechist,  had  ever  visited  those  distant 
regions ;  but  he  had,  while  hunting,  heard  of 
the  Gospel  from  some  of  Mr.  Budd's  first  con- 
verts ;  and  now,  in  1842,  came  down  to  make 
inquiry  for  himself. 

Mr.  Budd  received  him  gladly,  gave  him  as 
much  instruction  as  the  shortness  of  his  stay 
permitted,  and  on  his  departure  supplied  him 
with  some  elementary!  books,  by  which  he 
might  continue  to  improve  himself.  His  ap- 
petite for  further  knowledge  was  quickened 
at  every  step  he  took ;  again  and  again  he  re- 
visited the  Pas,  each  time  gathering  up  from 
Mr.  Budd  or  Mr.  Hunter  some  fresh  crumbs 
of  eternal  truth,  and  on  his  return  home  dis- 
tributing them  to  those  around. 

So  anxious  were  these  poor  people  to  hear 

*  There  is  a  small  outpost  of  the  Company  at  Lac  la 
Ronge,  dependent  on  the  still  more  distant  post  of  lie  de 
la  Crosse. 

f  Probably  spelling-books,  <fec. 


LAC  LA  ROJSTGE— MOOSE  LAKE.         227 

of  Christ  and  His  salvation,  that  on  these  oc- 
casions they  gave  their  chief  no  rest.  One 
party  after  another  came  into  his  tent  to  listen 
to  his  tidings ;  when  some  retired  to  seek  for 
rest  or  refreshment,  others  took  their  places ; 
the  night  as  well  as  the  day  was  spent  in  tell- 
ing and  hearing  of  the  love  of  God ;  and  on 
one  occasion  Heche  Hookemow  was  thus  kept 
up  for  four  successive  nights.  His  desire  for 
knowledge  still  increased;  and  in  1846  he 
paid  a  longer  visit  to  the  Pas,  put  himself  un- 
der regular  instruction,  and  was,  in  June  of 
the  same  year,  baptized  by  the  name  of  Paul ; 
his  wife,  and  two  children  being  admitted  to 
the  same  privilege. 

A  few  weeks  earlier,  Mr.  Hunter  had  also 
baptized  another  of  the  Lac  la  Eonge  Indians, 
whose  history  runs,  in  some  respects,  parallel 
with  that  we  have  just  related.  His  heathen 
name  was  Mistinisquavoo ;  he  was  a  noted 
conjurer,  and  a  leading  man  among  his  people, 
But  there  was  something  in  him  that  attract- 
ed the  attention  and  awakened  the  interest  of 
Mr.  Mackenzie,  the  gentleman  then  in  charge 


228         THE  RAINBOW  Itf  THE  NORTH. 

of  the  post ;  and  about  the  same  time  that 
Heche  Hookemow  first  visited  Mr.  Budd,  Mr. 
Mackenzie  took  Mistinisguavoo  to  Norway 
House.  There  he  remained  for  some  months, 
under  the  instruction  of  a  "Wesleyan  Mission- 
ary, and  returning  to  Lac  la  Eonge  spoke  to 
others  of  the  things  he  had  himself  received. 

Anxious  for  farther  instruction,  and  for  ad- 
mission into  the  fold  of  Christ,  he  and  his  wife 
went  to  Cumberland  early  in  1846,  and  were, 
as  we  have  said,  baptized  by  Mr.  Hunter,  re- 
ceiving the  names  of  Abraham  and  Sarah. 

The  spirit  of  inquiry  among  the  Lac  la 
Eonge  Indians  was  not  confined  to  the  two 
cases  we  have  mentioned ;  others  had  visited 
the  Mission  Station,  but  could  not  remain  long 
enough  to  gain  much  knowledge;  and  Mr. 
Hunter  had  already,  in  1845,  sent  thither 
James  Beardy,  one  of  his  own  Indians,  to  help 
them  forward  as  far  as  he  could.* 

*  One  of  these  visitors  -was  a  man  who,  with  his  wife,  set 
off  in  the  summer  of  1844,  in  a  canoe,  taking  with  them  the 
two  daughters  of  one  of  their  friends,  who  were  to  be  left 
behind  at  tha  school.  Before  they  had  gone  much  abovo 
half-way,  the  frost  set  in  and  the  rivers  were  impassalf 


LAC  LA  EONGE — MOOSE  LAKE.    229 

Beardy  found  twenty  families  ready  at  once 
to  embrace  Christianity.  He  became  so  much 
interested  in  his  work,  as  to  determine  to  re- 
main there  through  the  winter.  Though  but 
a  beginner  in  the  school  of  Christ,  he  diligently 
labored  to  teach  them  all  he  knew  himself, 
aiming,  to  use  his  own  words,  to  "  make  them 
feel  that  they  were  sinners  and  had  broken 
God's  holy  law,  and  thus  stood  in  need  of  the 
salvation  which  God  has  provided  for  us  in 
the  blood  and  righteousness  of  Jesus  Christ." 

He  daily  taught  and  prayed  with  any  that 
were  within  reach,  and  on  Sundays  met  them 
in  the  large  room  at  the  fort,  which  was  kindly 
lent  to  him  for  the  purpose,  and  which  was 
always  completely  filled. 

In  1846,  Mr.  Hunter  sent  Mr.  James  Settee* 
as  catechist  to  this  promising  station;  and 

Nothing  daunted,  they  pitched  their  tent  where  they  were, 
supported  themselves  and  their  young  companions  as  best 
they  could  during  the  winter,  and  as  soon  as  the  rivers  were 
again  open  pursued  their  voyage. 

*  Mr.  Settee  had,  like  Mr.  Budd,  been  one  of  Mr.  West's 
earliest  pupils  in  the  Indian  School  (p.  41) ;  like  him,  he  was 
bringing  forth  the  fruit  of  the  seed  then  sown,  and  was  now 
Bent  forth  to  be  another  proof  of  the  value  of  native  agency. 


230    THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

provided,  as  Mr.  Budd  had  been  in  1840,  with 
flour,  pemican,  clothes,  tools,  and  everything 
he  -was  likely  to  want  till  the  following  spring, 
he  set  out  early  in  June,  and  in  about  three 
weeks  arrived  at  his  destination. 

He  found  the  people  in  as  promising  a  state 
as  he  had  expected ;  but  soon  after  his  arrival 
he  experienced  a  severe  trial  in  the  death  of 
many  of  the  converts  from  measles.  Five  men 
and  twelve  women,  besides  several  children, 
were  thus  carried  off,  and  it  was  a  grief  both 
to  themselves  and  their  teachers  that  they  had 
had  no  opportunity  of  being  received  into  the 
visible  Church  of  Christ.  That  many,  if  not 
all,  were  living  members  of  His  mystical  body, 
there  is  every  reason  to  hope ;  all  had  forsaken 
their  heathen  practices,  regularly  attended 
every  means  of  grace,  and  were  in  the  habit 
of  daily  family  prayer;  and  many  of  them, 
with  their  dying  lips,  declared  their  simple 
reliance  on  the  Lord  Jesus,  often  using  such 
expressions  as  these : — "  I  love  my  Lord  and 
my  Saviour,  and  I  will  praise  Him  while  I 
have  breath." 


LAC  LA  EONGE— MOOSE  LAKE.          231 

In  the  summer  of  1847,  Mr.  Hunter  himself 
visited  this  new  station,  and  one  or  two  inci- 
dents that  occurred  on  the  way  are  worth 
mentioning.  One  of  these  was  his  meeting 
with  Kinnakahpoo,  chief  of  the  Eat  Eiver,  and 
his  wife,  who  were  on  their  way  to  Cumber- 
land, anxious  to  be  received  into  the  Church 
of  Christ.  Mr.  Hunter  had  a  good  deal  of 
conversation  with  them^  and  finding  them  well 
instructed  in  the  chief  truths  of  our  holy  faith, 
he  baptized  them  both  on  the  banks  of  the 
river.  A  few  days  after  he  met  with  two  other 
canoes  full  of  Indians,  also  on  their  way  to 
Cumberland ;  but  as  their  knowledge  was  far 
below  that  of  Kinnakahpoo  and  his  wife,  he 
pursuaded  them  to  turn  back,  and  accompany 
him  for  farther  instruction. 

When  he  reached  the  lake,  he  proceeded  to 
a  small  dwelling  which  Mr.  Settee  had  built 
for  himself,  under  a  lofty  rock  of  granite,  on 
the  opposite  bank  to  the  Company's  fort.  A 
number  of  Indians  had  pitched  their  tents 
round  the  fort,  and  as  soon  as  they  espied  Mr. 
Hunter's  boat,  they  came  paddling  their  canoes 


232          THE  KAINBOW  IN  THE  NOHTH. 


across  the  water,  and  welcomed  him  with  an 
overflowing  joy  that  almost  overcame  him, 

He  found  a  school  already  established,  at 
which  thirty  boys  and  twenty-three  girls  re- 
ceived daily  instruction,  and  on  Sundays  the 
adults  who  attended  raised  the  number  to 
sixty-eight. 

The  day  after  his  arrival,  he  examined  the 
candidates  for  baptism,  and  found  them  suffi- 
ciently well  instructed  to  allow  of  his  baptizing 
forty-eight  adults  and  fifty-nine  children  on 
the  following  Sunday.  Besides  these,  several 
had  been  previously  baptized  in  Cumberland, 
fifty  or  sixty  more  were  candidates  for  the 
sacred  rite,  and  not  one  heathen  now  remained 
among  the  Indians  of  Lac  la  Eonge. 

One  of  the  men  who  was  at  this  time  bap- 
tized by  Mr.  Hunter,  and  who  had'  received 
the  name  of  John  Venn,  died  soon  after.  He 
was  ready  for  the  summons,  and  often  said  to 
his  wife,  " Prepare  your  mind,  my  wife;  I 
must  soon  die.  I  am  looking  for  the  time 
when  my  Saviour  shall  send  for  me.  I  hope 
I  am  ready  for  Him  who  has  so  loved  me  as 


LAC  LA  ROISTGE — MOOSE  LAKE.          233 

to  die  for  my  sins,  and  on  whom  I  wholly  cast 
myself.  Pray  to  Him,  my  wife,  pray  to  Him 
for  our  little  girl,  that  we  may  be  all  saved  in 
the  day  of  His  appearing." 

When  Mr.  Settee  was  appointed  to  Lac  la 
Eonge,  James  Beardy  pushed  on  to  the  neigh- 
borhood of  another  of  the  Company's  trading 
ports,  called  He  de  le  Crosse,  four  or  five 
hundred*  miles  still  farther  in  the  interior, 
and  from  whence  Mr.  Hunter  had  received 
many  applications  for  a  teacher. 

When  Beardy  arrived  there,  he  found  that 
two  Eoman  Catholic  priests  were  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  that  some  of  the  poor  people, 
despairing  of  obtaining  a  teacher  of  what  they 
called  "the  English  religion,"  and  yet  unwill- 
ing to  remain  in  heathenism,  had  been  bap- 
tized by  ihem.  The  priests  had,  after  their 
baptism,  tied  round  their  necks  the  same  kind 
of  cross  we  have  spoken  of  before,  and  instead 

*  These  calculations  are,  of  course,  but  vague ;  the  dia- 
tance  represented  on  the  map  is  a  very  imperfect  guide,  as 
the  windings  of  the  rivers  and  lakes  often  double  the  appa- 
rent length  of  route,  which  can  only  be  judged  of  by  the 
time  it  occupies. 


234         TIIE  RAINBOW   IN   THE   NORTH. 

of  giving  them  instructions  from  the  Word  of 
God,  had  distributed  among  them  a  paper, 
"  marked  in  small  dark  lines  with  the  names 
of  patriarchs  and  apostles,  representations  of 
heaven,  earth,  angels,  saints,  stars,  churches, 
the  flood,  Solomon's  Temple,  &c. ;  the  princi- 
pal object  being  a  straight  road  leading  to 
heaven,  intended  to  represent  the  Eoman 
Catholic  religion,  with  branch  roj^ds  marked 
*  Pretended  Eeformations,'  &c.,  leading,  of 
course,  to  a  very  different  place/7* 

Some  of  these  Indians  had,  however,  re- 
sisted all  the  solicitations  of  the  priests ;  igno- 
rant as  they  were,  they  seem  to  have  felt  that 
these  outward  things  could  not  satisfy  their 
souls ;  and  they  had  still  waited  for  an  Eng- 
lish teacher.  Several  even  of  those  who  had 
been  baptized  had,  soon  after,  of  their  own 
accord,  thrown  away  their  crosses,  and  were 
anxious  to  receive  instruction. 

Distant  as  He  de  la  Crosse  and  Lac  la  Eonge 

*  Let  our  readers  compare  this  -with  the  heathen  roll 
mentioned  in  the  last  chapter,  as  having  been  given  up  by 
Louis  Constant. 


LAC  LA  RONGE — MOOSE   LAKE.          235 

were,  the  desire  for  instruction  had  spread  still 
further,  and  in  1848,  our  Cumberland  Mis- 
sionary received  a  message  from  a  chief  named 
Tripe  de  Koche,*  near  Fort  Chippewyan,  in 
the  Athabasca  county,  said  to  be  a  thousand 
miles  from  He  de  la  Crosse,  speaking  of  his 
own  and  his  people's  unwillingness  to  put 
themselves  under  the  Eoman  Catholic  priests ; 
and  earnestly  requesting  a  teacher ;  but  hith- 
erto there  have  been  no  means  of  complying 
with  this  request. 

The  influence  of  the  Cumberland  Indians 
was  not  felt  only  in  these  distant  places ;  seve- 
ral of  the  inquirers  who  visited  the  Pas  were 
from  nearer  parts  of  the  country.  Some  were 
from  among  the  Nippeweens,  a  tribe  impor- 
tant, not  only  on  account  of  its  own  numbers, 
but  as  being  in  continual  communication  with 
the  fiercer  and  still  more  numerous  tribes, 
called  the  "Plain77  Indians.  Others  came 
from  Moose  Lake,  a  secluded  spot,  two  days' 
distance  from  the  Pas,  where  the  officer  in 
charge  of  the  Company's  post  had  a  care  for  the 
*  Rockweed. 


236         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

souls  of  the  Indians  round  him,  and  added  his 
own  instructions  to  the  information  they  had 
obtained  from  their  companions  in  the  hunt- 
ing-grounds. 

Mr.  Hunter  several  times  visited  this  place, 
and  in  his  different  journeys  had  opportunities 
of  seeing  more  of  the  Indian  idolatry  and 
superstitions  than  he  had  before  witnessed  ;* 
but  our  limits  forbid  us  to  linger  here,  and 
we  must  only  add,  with  regard  to  Moose 

*  On  one  occasion  he  passed  a  sacred  stone,  round  which 
the  Indians  would  often  meet,  smoke  their  pipes  as  an  act 
of  adoration,  and  present  to  it  offerings  of  tobacco,  beads,  or 
broken  earthenware,  depositing  them  in  holes  with  which 
the  stone  was  perforated.  Several  times  he  observed  in 
the  more  frequented  spots  a  kind  of  idol,  made  by  a  long 
pole  being  driven  into  the  ground,  with  a  head  rudely 
carved  upon  it ;  sticks  were  fastened  across  for  arms,  and 
rags  of  various  colors  were  hung  about  it.  Persons  saluted 
it  as  they  passed,  but  Mr.  Hunter  could  not  learn  that  it  was 
intended  for  any  particular  deity.  More  than  once  he  passed 
their  feasting-tents,  while  the  ceremony  was  going  on.  One 
of  these  was  to  ensure  an  abundant  supply  of  wild  geese, 
and  on  these  occasions,  decked  out  in  any  finery  they  could 
procure,  their  faces  painted  red,  and  with  red  feathers  in 
their  hair,  men,  women,  and  children,  with  frightful  yells 
and  shouts,  would  dance  round  and  round  the  figure  of  a 
goose,  and  then  feast  to  excess  on  provisions  that  had  been 
stored  up  for  the  purpose. 


MANITOBA  LAKE.  237 


Lake,  that  several  of  the  Indians  who  frequent 
it  have  been  baptized,  and  that  it  is  considered 
so  promising  a  field,  that,  as  we  shall  hereafter 
see,  steps  have  been  taken  to  make  it  a  per- 
manent station. 


MANITOBA  LAKE. 
"  Let  patience  have  her  perfect  work." — ST.  JAMES  L  4. 

"WE  have  taken  a  new  motto  for  the  con- 
cluding part  of  this  chapter,  for  it  will  contain 
a  history  very  different  from  those  we  have 
already  related,  and  will  afford  another  proof 
that  though  a  Paul  should  plant,  or  an  Apol- 
los  water,  it  remaineth  with  God  alone  to  give 
the  increase. 

The  Eev.  A.  and  Mrs.  Cowley  arrived  from 
England  in  the  autumn  of  1841 ;  and,  early 
in  the  summer  of  1842,  they  proceeded  to 
what  had  for  some  time  appeared  a  promising 
station  on  the  shore  of  the  Lake  Manitoba. 
This  lake  lies  to  the  north-west  of  the  Eed 
River,  and  the  spot  proposed  now  to  be  occu- 


238         THE   RAINBOW   IN   THE   NORTH. 

pied  is  about  three  hundred  miles  from  that 
settlement.  It  is  partly  accessible  by  land, 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cowley  performed  most  of 
the  journey  in  the  rude  carts  of  the  country, 
carrying  with  them,  as  usual,  provisions  for 
the  next  twelve  months,  and  a  little  live  stock 
for  the  commencement  of  a  mission  farm.  Af- 
ter a  very  fatiguing  journey  they  arrived  at 
the  spot,  and  were  delighted  with  the  land- 
scape all  around.  Before  them  was  the  lake, 
stretched  out  in  quiet  grandeur,  reflecting,  as 
in  a  glassy  mirror,  the  scene  around;  the 
shores  were  bordered  with  a  belt  of  pasturage, 
and  beyond  lay  what  seemed  interminable 
woods  of  oak  and  poplar ;  while  the  numer-' 
ous  fish  that  sported  in  the  clear  waters,  and 
the  birds  that  skimmed  along  their  surface, 
gave  life  and  animation  to  the  whole. 

Far  different  was  the  moral  prospect :  the 
Indians  that  frequented  the  neighborhood  were 
of  the  Saulteaux  tribe,  and  we  have  before* 
spoken  of  the  fierceness  of  their  character, 
and  their  impatience  of  control,  even  on  the 
*  Page  137,  156,  <fcc. 


MANITOBA  LAKE.  239 

banks  of  the  Bed  Elver ;  and  here,  where  the 
silver  trumpet  of  the  Gospel  had  never  yet 
been  sounded,  they  were  still  more  wild  and 
untamed. 

A  tent  was  soon  pitched  for  our  wearied 
travellers ;  and  Mr.  Oowley,  with  the  help  of  a 
servant  he  had  brought  with  him,  set  about 
the  erection  of  a  more  substantial  dwelling. 

It  contained  only  two  rooms,  sixteen  feet 
square ;  one  of  which  was  for  their  own  use> 
and  the  other  for  their  servant's :  but,  small 
and  inconvenient  as  it  was,  they  were  thank- 
ful to  take  possession  of  it  in  the  following  Oc- 
tober, though  they  were  still  destitute  of  bed- 
stead, chairs,  or  any  other  article  of  furniture, 
except  one  table  given  them  by  Mrs.  Cockran. 

There  is  a  Company's  trading-post  on  the 
shores  of  the  Manitoba  Lake,  and  this,  added 
to  the  unfailing  abundance  of  fish,  renders  it 
a  favorite  resort  of  the  Indians,  who  some- 
times collect  there  in  considerable  numbers. 

As  was  the  case  with  Mr.  Hunter  at  Cum- 
berland, Mr.  Cowley  came  in  contact  with 
many  Indian  superstitions  which  had  long  be- 


240         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

fore  disappeared  from  the  neighborhood  of 
the  Eed  Kiver.  The  Saulteaux  chief  here  had 
in  his  possession  a  birch-rind  roll,  very  similar 
to  the  one  we  have  before  described  as  having 
belonged  to  the  Cree  chief,  Louis  Constant; 
and  on  one  occasion  Mr.  Cowley  observed  an 
instance  of  superstition  different  from  any  we 
read  of  elsewhere.  He  says  : — 

"  One  day  I  saw  something  hanging-  on  a  tree,  and 
went  to  look  at  it.  It  consisted  of  twenty  small  rods, 
peeled  and  painted  red  and  black,  and  fastened  together 
in  a  plane,  with  cords  of  bark.  A  piece  of  tobacco 
was  placed  between  the  tenth  and  eleventh  rods,  and  the 
whole  was  suspended  perpendicularly  from  a  branch  of 
the  tree.  It  belonged  to  the  old  chief,  who  told  me  that 
when  he  was  a  young  man  he  lay  down  to  dream,*  and 
that,  in  his  dream,  the  moon  spoke  to  him,  and  told  him  to 
make  this  charm,  and  to  renew  it  every  new  moon,  that 
he  might  have  a  long  life.  He  had  regularly  done  so  ever 
since,  till  the  preceding  summer,  when  he  almost  forgot 
it,  and  was  taken  so  ill  as  to  be  near  dying ;  but  he  re- 
membered it,  his  friends  did  it  for  him,  and  he  recovered." 

Is  not  this  an  example  of  untiring  persever- 
ance worthy  of  a  better  cause  ? 
From  the  time  of  their  first  settling  among 

*  See  page  19. 


MANITOBA  LAKE.  241 


them,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cowley  left  nothing  un- 
done to  win  these  people  to  the  truth.  Their 
small  house  was  open  to  them  by  night  as  well 
as  by  day,  for  conversation,  or  for  shelter,  or 
for  food ;  they  never  sent  them  away,  but  on 
more  than  one  occasion  submitted  to  the  dirty 
and  disgusting  habits  of  their  visitors  for  two 
or  three  days  together. 

The  people  seemed  disposed  to  listen  to  the 
Gospel ;  those  on  the  spot  generally  attended 
at  the  daily  family  devotions,  and  absent  ones 
would,  if  possible,  return  to  the  Sunday  ser- 
vices. 

While  near,  they  would  also  willingly  send 
their  children  to  the  school,  but,  generally, 
after  a  little  while,  would  suddenly  decamp, 
take  their  children  with  them,  and  not  return 
for  months. 

Mr.  Cowley's  journals,  though  interesting  in 
themselves,  do  not  afford  many  materials  for 
our  present  purpose.  A  narrative  of  blighted 
hopes  and  disappointed  expectations,  though 
borne  with  constancy  and  patience,  and  firm 
reliances  on  the  promises  of  God,  would  not 


242         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH 

be  interesting  in  detail ;  and  we  shall,  there- 
fore, only  touch  on  a  few  points  that  may  con- 
vey to  the  reader  some  idea  of  the  work  at 
Manitoba. 

Th<£  outward  trials  and  privations  of  our 
Missionaries  were  not,  perhaps,  greater  than 
those  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunter  at  Cumberland, 
and  they  were  borne  with  equal  cheerfulness ; 
but  their  souls  were  cast  down  within  them 
at  the  little  effect  produced  by  the  preaching 
of  the  Gospel. 

Occasionally  Mr.  Cowley's  hopes  were  raised 
by  one  and  another  coming  to  ask  what  he 
must  do  to  be  saved ;  but  all  was  as  a  morn- 
ing cloud,  and  melted  away  before  the  next 
temptation.  This  was  particularly  the  case  in 
the  autumn  of  1845.  Many  had  appeared  more 
serious,  and  seemed  to  feel  more  interest  than 
they  had  hitherto  done  in  the  truths  of  the 
Gospel ;  one  man  in  particular,  who  went  by 
the  name  of  Eobert,  gave  up  his  medicine- 
bag  and  his  heathen  ways,  and  declared  his  in- 
tention to  become  a  Christian.  But  just  be- 
fore the  Christmas  of  the  same  year  a  trader 


MANITOBA  LAKE,  243 

arrived  with  a  large  quantity  of  rum,  which 
he  offered  to  the  Indians  in  exchange  for  furs, 
or  for  anything  else  they  possessed.  They 
eagerly  sought  to  procure  the  "fire-water;" 
everything  they  had  was  parted  with  to  obtain 
it,  and  the  scenes  of  intoxication  and  riot  that 
went  on  for  two  or  three  weeks  baffle  all  de- 
scription. Not  one  escaped  the  snare ;  even 
Eobert  fell  into  it,  and  we  never  read  of  any 
after-change  in  him. 

Had  these  poor  creatures  exercised  only 
their  reason,  they  would  have  been  struck 
with  the  contrast  their  own  condition  at  this 
time  presented  to  that  of  two  Indians  from 
Eed  Eiver,  who  happened  just  now  to  be  at 
the  station.  They  also  were  Saulteaux ;  but 
the  grace  of  God  had  some  years  before  taken 
possession  of  their  hearts,  and  they  were 
among  the  very  few  of  their  tribe  who  had, 
with  Pigwys,  settled  at  the  Indian  Village. 
They  had  left  their  home  for  some  of  the 
Saulteaux  hunting-grounds  near  the  Mani- 
toba Lake,  and  had  now  come  down  to  enjoy 
the  Christmas  services.  They  remained  some 


244         THE   RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

little  time  with  Mr.  Cowley,  receiving  the 
Lord's  Supper,  attending  Divine  worship,  regu- 
lar in  their  own  morning  and  evening  devo- 
tions, and  resisting  every  temptation;  while 
their  quiet  bearing,  and  their  happy,  peaceful 
countenances,  gave  additional  proof  of  the 
Spirit  that  dwelt  within. 

Year  after  year  rolled  away — Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cowley  had  fixed  their  permanent  abode  at  a 
place  called  Partridge  Crop;  the  word  was 
preached  "in  season  and  out  of  season,"  but 
still  there  was  no  response.  Civilization  was, 
however,  beginning  to  make  some  progress; 
eight  little  cottages  were  to  be  seen  beneath 
the  shade  of  spreading  oaks  near  the  margin 
of  the  lake  ;  each  with  its  potato  ground,  one 
with  its  field  of  wheat  and  barley,  while  the 
owner  of  another  was  master  of  several  head 
of  cattle.  The  schools,  too,  went  on  well ; 
and  it  often  refreshed  our  Missionaries'  droop- 
ing hearts  to  see  these  little  ones  neatly  and 
comfortably  clad  in  the  garments  they  had 
given  them,  sitting  round  the  room  reading 


MANITOBA  LAKE.  245 

the  word  of  Grod,  or  joining  with  their  sweet 
voices  in  some  simple  hymn. 

Occasionally,  too,  some  little  incident  would 
occur  to  encourage  hope:  once,  for  instance, 
when  Mr.  Cowley  was,  as  usual,  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  general  absence  of  the  Indians 
to  go  to  some  distant  spot,  he  visited  a  chief 
called  Kakepi,  who  was  for  a  while  encamped 
at  a  place  forty  or  fifty  miles  from  Partridge 
Crop.  On  his  arrival,  he  was,  to  his  surprise, 
shown  into  a  new  tent  neatly  lined  with  brush- 
wood, and  with  a  supply  of  logs  for  fuel ;  and 
he  found  it  had  been  prepared  for  him,  be* 
cause,  as  the  people  said,  he  would  want  to 
pray,  and  their  tents  were  too  dirty  for  the 
purpose. 

A  gratifying  proof  was  also  given  to  our 
Missionary  that  his  unwearied  efforts  were 
not  wholly  unappreciated,  when,  in  1847,  the 
question  was  raised  whether  the  station  should 
not  be  abandoned.  The  Indians,  hearing 
something  of  it,  came  to  him,  earnestly  re- 
questing him  not  to  leave  them,  and  saying, 
that  though  they  were  themselves  too  old  to 


246         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

change,  they  wished  their  children  to  become 
1 c  praying  people.' '  One  man  strikingly  added, 
"I  believe  your  message  to  be  true,  but  if  it 
is,  why  did  you  not  sooner  come  and  tell  us  ? 
We  might  now  have  been  a  praying  people, 
instead  of  having  grown  up  heathens."  What 
answer  has  the  Christian  Church  to  give  this 
man? 

The  suspense  in  which  Mr.  Cowley  remained 
till  he  could  know  the  decision  of  the  Parent 
Committee  on  this  point,  tested  his  own  feel- 
ings; it  proved  that  his  affections  were  so 
drawn  out  to  those  people  that,  almost  fruit- 
less as  his  labors  had  been,  he  could  not  bear 
the  thought  of  leaving  them,  and  great  was 
his  thankfulness  when,  in  the  following  year, 
the  answer  came  from  home,  "  We  must  not 
yet  give  up  the  Saulteaux." 

Even  up  to  the  last  account,  things  still  re- 
main in  nearly  the  same  state ;  at  times  there 
seems  a  shaking  among  the  dry  bones,  as 
though  the  Spirit  of  God  were  breathing  upon 
them.  But  again  all  is  still ;  and  we  can  only 
commend  the  Manitoba  Station  to  the  special 


MANITOBA  LAKE.  247 

prayers  of  our  readers,  concluding  our  account 
with  an  extract  from  one  of  Mr.  Cowley's 
letters : — 

"  In  God  is  my  trust,  and  in  Him  is  my  confidence.  He 
will  not,  He  cannot,  fail  me  in  time  of  my  greatest  need. 
The  assurance  of  your  prayers  and  the  prayers  of  my 
friends  is  a  great  comfort  to  me,  but  I  pray  to  be  kept 
from  placing  you  or  them  in  the  stead  of  Christ.  His 
merits  and  gracious  offices  of  love  are  all-prevailing ;  I 
embark  my  all  upon  the  ocean  of  His  love,  and  trust 
His  word  of  promise  for  every  emergency  " 


CHAPTER  XH. 

ARRIVAL  OF  THE  BISHOP  OF  RUPERT'S  LAND, 

"  We  are  come  as  far  as  to  you  also  in  preaching  the  Gospel 
of  Christ."— 2  COB.  x.  14. 

THIS  was  the  appropriate  text,  chosen  by 
the  first  Bishop  of  Rupert's  Land,  for  the  first 
sermon  he  preached  in  his  new  diocese,  at 
York  Fort,  on  August  19th,  1849. 

The  appointment  of  a  Bishop  to  this  vast 
territory  forms  so  important  an  era  in  the  his- 
tory of  our  Missions  there,  that  we  shall  not 
hesitate  to  enter  rather  at  large  upon  the  sub- 
ject. 

Our  Missionaries  had  long  felt  the  impor- 
tance of  having  among  them  a  chief  pastor,  to 
whom  they  might  look  for  counsel  and  encour- 
agement, whose  presence  would  strengthen  the 
work  they  had  begun,  and  under  whom  a 
native  ministry  might  be  raised  up  to  carry 


THE  BISHOP  OF  HUBERT'S  LAND.       249 

the  Gospel  into  hitherto  untrodden  regions. 
And  we  can  well  understand  the  anxiety  they 
would  feel  that,  whenever  their  desire  should 
be  granted,  the  appointment  should  fall  on  one 
who  himself  knew  and  possessed  "the  un- 
searchable riches  of  Christ/'  and  the  desire  of 
whose  heart  would  therefore  be  that  they 
should  be  "preached  among  the  Gentiles." 

We  may  then  suppose  how  great  was  their 
thankfulness  to  hear  that,  in  the  good  provi- 
dence of  God,  Dr.  Anderson  had  been  selected 
for  the  office,  and  to  know  that  no  one  could 
have  been  chosen  more  fitted  to  encounter  the 
difficulties  of  a  newly-formed  diocese,  more 
competent  to  guide  the  studies  of  a  future 
native  ministry,  more  calculated  to  revive  the 
drooping  heart  of  the  Missionary,  or  to  keep 
alive  and  quicken  the  spirit  of  vital  religion. 

The  consecration  took  place  on  May  29, 
1849,  in  the  Cathedral  Church  of  Canterbury, 
and  on  June  the  7th  the  Bishop,  with  his  sister 
and  his  three  sons,  embarked  at  Gravesend  on 
board  the  Prince  Eupert,  accompanied  by  the 
Rev.  E.  and  Mrs.  Hunt,  and  Mr.  Chapman. 


250          THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

They  had  a  prosperous  voyage,  and  found 
much  to  engage  their  attention  in  the  new  and 
strange  sights  that  met  them  on  their  way. 
Some  of  these  are  so  graphically  described  in 
a  letter  from  the  Bishop  to  his  young  friends 
in  England,  that  we  shall  make  a  few  extracts 
from  it : — 

"  Surely  '  they  that  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships,  see  the 
works  of  the  Lord,  and  His  wonders  in  the  deep !'  We 
saw  them  not  in  the  gale  or  storm,  for  we  were  mercifully 
spared  from  anything  of  the  kind ;  but  we  saw  enough  of 
the  icebergs  to  realize  the  chief  danger  of  the  Arctic  Sea. 
I  cannot  describe  to  you  their  figures  or  infinitely-varied 
appearances.  Some  are  like  churches,  others  like  castles 
with  towers,  many  like  animals;  in  some  you  see  the 
arches  of  bridges,  with  the  water  rolling  beneath ;  while 
the  smaller  pieces  floating  about  are  like  the  frosted  orna- 
mental vases  that  are  seen  at  home. 

"  Some  were  of  the  purest  white,  the  surface  generally 
of  dead  white,  the  effect  of  the  snow ;  the  lower  part  had 
a  beautiful  tint  when  they  approached  the  sea,  either  from 
the  action  of  the  water,  or  from  the  clearness  of  the  ice 
showing  the  color  of  the  sea.  Their  height  was  very  va- 
rious ;  many  rose  above  the  top-mast ;  and  one,  which  was 
not  much  higher  than  the  rest,  was  150  feet.  And  when 
the  effect  was  heightened  by  a  bright  sunshine,  and  each 
piece  and  mass  was  reflected  in  the  water,  we  gazed  for 
a  time  to  see  whether  the  whole  were  not  an  illusion. 

"  I  might  also  dwell  on  the  tokens  of  God's  goodness 


THE   BISHOP  OF  RUPERT'S  LAND.       251 


in  the  enjoyment  which  seems  to  fill  the  tenants  of  the 
sea ;  they  seem  to  sport  and  play  about  in  the  very  ecstasy 
of  being ;  whether  the  whale  sending  up  the  column  of 
water  into  the  air ;  or  the  seals  and  porpoises  crowding 
round  the  vessel ;  or  the  little  stormy  petrel  following 
close  behind,  and  picking  up  fragments;  or  the  white 
polar  bear,  scarcely  to  be  distinguished  from  the  masses 
of  ice  by  its  side — all  these  we  saw  in  their  turn,  and  they 
reminded  us  how  c  God  openeth  His  hand,  and  satisfieth 
the  desires  of  every  living  thing.'  We  felt  that  the  sea 
was  a  world  in  itself;  in  every  part  of  it  bearing  witness 
to  God,  and  that,  though  we  cannot  hear  the  voice,  there 
is  a  tribute  of  praise  ever  ascending  from  it,  that  the  ice, 
and  frost,  and  snow,  as  well  as  the  expanse  of  the  calm 
and  quiet  sea,  praise  the  Lord  and  reflect  His  glory." — 
Psal.  cxlviii.  8. 

The  Bishop  also  makes  special  mention  of 
the  beautiful  Aurora  Borealis,  "shooting  up 
in  streams  of  brilliant  light,  and  covering  the 
whole  of  the  zenith."  * 

One  day  in  particular  is  spoken  of  as  of 
surpassing  beauty.  They  lay  becalmed  among 

*  God  has  not  left  Himself  without  witness  even  in  these 
inhospitable  regions.  The  beauty  and  grandeur  of  the  deep 
forests,  the  broad  rivers,  the  foaming  cataracts,  the  glorious 
firmament,  and  though  last,  not  least,  the  mysterious  North- 
ern Lights,  testify  that  our  common  Father  cared  for  His 
rf  red"  children,  before  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  arose  upon 
them,  and  the  Gospel  began  to  "  cheer  th«  rhivering  natives 
dull  abode." 


252         THE  KAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

the  ice  in  Hudson's  Straits,  a  few  icebergs 
were  in  the  distance,  and  much  field-ice  about, 
large  pieces  of  which  occasionally  floated  past 
the  ship.  One  of  the  party  writes : — 

"It  was  Sunday;  all  around  was  calm  and  still  as  a 
smooth  lake,  and  we  were  forcibly  reminded  of  the  sea  of 
glass  mentioned  in  the  Revelation.  The  sun  was  bright, 
the  sky  lovely ;  and  clouds,  sun,  and  sky,  all  and  every- 
thing were  reflected  in  the  clear  water.  It  seemed  as  if 
there  were  two  heavens ;  and,  perhaps,  none  of  us  had 
ever  seen  or  imagined  so  lovely  a  sight  on  earth. 

As  they  proceeded  into  the  bay  they  found 
the  cold  severe,  and  on  one  occasion  were 
"fast"  in  the  ice  for  some  hours;  but  they 
were  soon  free  again,  and  shaping  their  course 
towards  the  south,  anchored  off  York  Fort  on 
Thursday,  August  16th. 

Before  they  left  the  ship,  the  Bishop  once 
more  assembled  the  companions  of  his  voyage 
to  join  with  him  in  prayer  and  praise ;  and 
standing  on  the  deck  beneath  the  open  canopy 
of  heaven,  they  united  in  singing  "Praise 
God,  from  whom  all  blessings  flow,"  then 
knelt  down  to  pray,  and  the  Bishop  pronounced 
the  blessing. 


THE  BISHOP  OF  RUPERT'S   LAND.        253 

It  was  with  varied  emotions  that  the  little 
party  first  set  foot  on  this  distant  shore, 
adopting  it,  as  it  were,  for  their  present  home, 
and  the  probable  scene  of  the  "  unknown  to- 
morrow" of  so  many  of  their  future  years. 

The  chief  factor  at  York  Fort  received  the 
Bishop  with  every  mark  of  respect  and  kind- 
ness, and  it  was  an  additional  gratification  to 
him  to  hear  him  speak  of  the  Missionaries 
who  had  been  previously  sent ;  he  had  seen 
and  known  them  all,  and  assured  the  Bishop 
that  better  men  could  not  have  been  selected 
fo^  the  purpose,  dwelling  more  especially  on 
Mr.  "West  and  Mr.  Cockran. 

The  Bishop  soon  gave  token  of  the  spirit  in 
which  he  had  entered  on  his  new  diocese,  and 
the  next  Saturday  we  find  him  visiting  the 
tents  of  some  Indians  in  the  neighborhood. 
About  eighteen  collected  round  him,  and  at- 
tentively listened  while  himself  and  his  chap- 
lain (Mr.  Hunt)  spoke  to  them,  through  an  in- 
terpreter, the  words  of  peace  and  salvation. 
Many  were  deeply  affected,  and  expressed 


254         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 


their  sorrow  that  their  forefathers  had  known 
nothing  of  the  true  God. 

The  Bishop  commenced  his  public  ministra- 
tions in  his  new  diocese  on  the  Sunday  after 
his  arrival  (August  19),  when  divine  service 
was  held  in  the  large  hall  of  the  Fort,  all  the 
Company's  servants  and  about  fifty  Indians 
being  present. 

The  text  chosen  by  this  truly  missionary 
Bishop  for  his  first  address  was,  as  we  have 
^already  said,  from  2  Cor.  x.  14 ;  and  aware 
.that  many  of  the  Indians  would  know  enough 
of  English  to  understand  much  of  what  he 
said,  and  that  they  would  probably  talk  over 
with  their  friends  what  they  might  hear,  he 
addressed  part  of  his  sermon  especially  to 
^thern,  setting  before  them  the  Gospel,  and 
-telling  them  it  was  chiefly  to  them  and  their 
countrymen  that  he  had  been  sent  thus  far 
"in  preaching  the  Gospel  of  Christ."* 

"  So  manifestly,"  we  are  told,  "  did  his  heart  yearn 
over  them  that,  gradually  and  unconsciously,  he  moved 
from  behind  the  desk  on  which  his  Bible  lay,  and,  with 

*  See  text  at  head  of  chapter. 


THE  BISHOP  OF  RUPERT'S  LAND.       255 

extended  arms,  advanced  towards  -that  part  of  the  room 
where  they  were  sitting,  his  voice  meanwhile  becoming 
tremulously  expressive  of  the  anxious  Christian  affection 
which  possessed  his  heart." 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  his  lord- 
ship,  with  some  of  his  party,  again  visited  one 
of  the  Indian  tents.  As  they  approached  they 
heard  singing,  and  discovered  to  their  sur- 
prise, that  it  was  a  hymn  in  Cree,  set  to  the 
tune  of  the  Old  Hundredth  Psalm.  When 
they  entered  the  tent,  they  found  a  fire  of 
wood  kindled,  and  the  ground  covered  with 
leaves  and  small  boughs  to  keep  their  feet 
from  the  grass.  One  or  two  boxes  had  been 
provided  for  seats,  and  about  forty  Indians 
placed  themselves  round  them  on  the  ground. 

The  Bishop  and  his  chaplain  had  an  ani- 
mated and  pleasant  conversation  with  them, 
and  were  much  struck  with  the  good  effect 
evidently  produced  by  the  distant  missionary 
stations.  None  of  these  people  were  Chris- 
tians, but  they  had  acquired  a  partial  knowl- 
edge of  the  truths  of  holy  Scripture,  partly 
from  the  annual  visits  of  Christian  Indiana 


256    THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

from  the  Eed  Kiver,  but  chiefly  from  the 
Wesleyan  missionaries  at  Norway  House,  from 
whom  they  had  learned  several  Cree  hymns 
and  English  tunes.  They  had  some  idea  of 
sin,  and  some  feeling  of  the  need  of  a  Saviour ; 
they  frequently  talked  together  on  religious 
subjects,  were  in  the  habit  of  prajdng  and 
singing  hymns  every  morning  and  evening, 
and  most  urgent  for  further  instruction  ;  and 
the  Bishop  could  not  help  agreeing  with  them 
that  "it  did  seem  very  hard  to  leave  them 
without  a  teacher :"  but  there  was  no  remedy, 
for  none  could  be  spared. 

Before  they  left  the  tent  they  taught  them 
the  prayer  of  the  Publican,  and  another  short 
prayer  for  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  whose  immedi- 
ate teaching  they  commended  them  in  the  al- 
most total  absence  of  all  human  means. 

During  the  Bishop's  stay  at  York  Fort  four 
Indians  applied  for  baptism.  Two  of  them 
resided  on  the  spot.  They  were  half-brothers ; 
and  it  appeared  that  one  of  them,  who  went 
by  the  name  of  John,  had,  four  years  before, 
visited  Norway  House,  where  he  heard  the 


THE  BISHOP  OF  RUPERT'S  LAND.       257 

Gospel  preached  by  one  of  the  Wesleyan  mis- 
sionaries. Anxious  to  know  more,  he  pro- 
cured a  copy  of  the  Cree  alphabet,  of  which 
he  soon  made  himself  master:  he  then  ob- 
tained a  Catechism  in  the  same  language, 
which,  with  indefatigable  perseverance  and 
by  embracing  every  opportunity*  of  help 
from  others,  he  learnt  to  read.  He  communi- 
cated his  knowledge  to  his  brother  Joseph, 
whose  heart  was  also  touched,  and  they  were 
now  both  of  them  candidates  for  admission 
into  the  visible  Church. 

The  other  two  were  also  brothers ;  they 
came  from  Fort  Churchill,  180  miles  to  the 
north  of  York  Fort,  and  had,  it  seems,  long 
ago  received  religious  instruction  from  one  of 
the  Company's  officers,  Mr.  Harding,  f  His 
departure,  four  years  before,  had  deprived  the 
Churchill  Indians  of  all  opportunity  of  in- 

*  What  a  striking  contrast  does  this,  and  similar  instances 
which  we  have  mentioned,  present  to  the  state  of  these  forta 
as  depicted  in  our  first  chapter !  Praised  be  God  ! 

f  These  were  but  rare,  as  the  alphabet  and  Catechism 
were  in  peculiar  characters,  invented  by  the  late  Mr.  Evans, 
a  Wesleyan  missionary. 


258         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

struction,  but  these  two  brothers  could  not  be 
satisfied  without  learning  more.  They  found 
that  some  Christian  Indians  from  Norway 
House  went  annually  with  the  boats  to  York 
Fort,  and  they  had,  every  year  since  Mr. 
Harding's  departure,  come  down  to  meet  them 
there  and  to  get  what  information  they  could 
from  them.  They  were  only  able  to  have  two 
or  three  days  of  intercourse  with  them  on 
each  occasion ;  yet  so  well  had  they  improved 
these  short  opportunities,  and  so  much  had 
their  own  conversation  and  prayer  with  each 
other  been  blessed,  that  they  were  now  also 
considered  fit  to  be  baptized. 

As  we  might  suppose,  "  the  knowledge  of 
all  the  four  was  confined  to  a  few  fundamental 
articles  of  our  faith,  but  their  religious  experi- 
ence appeared  by  no  means  so  scanty,  their 
hearts  and  consciences  seemed  to  have  been 
divinely  taught,  and  that  with  so  little  exter- 
nal help  that  their  attainments  were  the  more 
remarkable."  They  were  baptized  by  the 
Bishop  himself  on  the  following  Sunday, 
August  26,  in  the  afternoon  service,  in  the 


THE  BISHOP  OF  RUPERT'S  LAND.       259 

presence  of  a  large  congregation,  the  majority 
of  whom  were  Indians. 

His  lordship,  in  relating  these  circumstances, 
adds : — 

"  They  all  came  afterwards  to  our  family  prayers,  and 
you  would  have  been  much  pleased  with  their  devout  de- 
meanor ;  they  are,  as  far  as  we  can  see,  very  humble,  and 
anxious  to  be  guided  into  the  way  of  salvation.  We  are 
very  sorry  to  leave  them,  but  shall  not  cease  to  pray  for 
them  as  our  first-fruits  here.  Among  those  present  at 
the  baptisms  was  Henry  Prince,  the  son  of  Pigwys,  who 
has  come  here  with  the  Red  River  boats.  I  was  delighted 
with  him.  There  are  three  other  Christians  also  here 
from  the  Indian  Village,  and  they  quite  astonish  me  as  to 
oieir  manner  and  intelligence,  and  also  (though  I  have  not 
yet  had  so  much  opportunity  of  testing  it)  as  to  their 
knowledge  of  the  word  of  God.  Let  me  say  here,  that 
what  I  have  seen  of  the  Indians,  as  yet,  exceeds  my  ex- 
pectations."* 

*  During  his  stay  at  York  Fort  the  Bishop  met  the  In- 
diana every  evening  for  reading  and  prayer.  Besides  those 
from  the  Indian  Village  there  were  fifteen  from  Norway 
House,  and  a  satisfactory  testimony  was  borne  to  these  men 
by  five  or  six  English  sailors,  who  were  returning  from  Sir 
John  Richardson's  last  unsuccessful  expedition,  and  who  had 
been  their  companions  from  that  place.  They  spoke  of  them 
as  one  of  the  best  behaved  and  happiest  boat's  crew  they 
had  ever  met  with ;  they  never  omitted  their  morning  and 
evening  prayer  and  singing,  and  formed,  they  said,  the  great- 


260          THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

The  Bishop  and  his  party  remained  ten 
days  at  York  Fort,  and  after  a  favorable  pas- 
sage up  Port  Nelson  Eiver  to  Norway  House, 
and  thence  along  Lake  Winnipeg,  arrived  at 
the  Eed  Eiver  on  Wednesday,  October  3. 

After  stopping  for  a  few  hours  at  the  Indian 
Village,  where  they  were  delighted  with  the 
appearance  of  comfort  all  around,  and  where 
"  the  little  Church,  the  school-house,  and  the 
parsonage,  looked  almost  like  an  English  vil- 
lage," they  proceeded  to  the  Lower  Fort,* 
where  comfortable  rooms  had  been  provided 
for  them  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 

They  had  intended  to  remain  there  through 
the  winter,  but  the  death  of  Mr.  Macullumf 

est  possible  contrast  to  the  awful  cursing  and  swearing  of 
the  Canadian  Roman  Catholic  voyageurs. 

*  The  Lower  Fort  is  on  the  river  side,  four  or  five  miles 
below  the  Rapids,  and  eight  or  nine  above  the  Indian  Vil- 
lage. 

f  The  death  of  this  good  man  took  place  just  as  the 
Bishop  was  entering  the  Red  River,  at  sunrise,  on  October 
8.  He  had  been  ordained  by  the  Bishop  of  Montreal  in 
1844 ;  but  failure  of  health  obliged  him  to  relinquish  minis- 
terial work,  and  to  confine  himself  to  tuition.  He  was  at 
the  head  of  a  school  at  the  Upper  Settlement  for  the  sons 
of  the  officers  of  the  Company,  where  all  his  energies  were 


THE   BISHOP   OF  RUPERT'S  LAND.       261 

altered  their  plans,  and  induced  the  Bishop 
to  remove  with  his  family  to  the  Upper  Set- 
tlement, where  his  anxiety  for  the  education 
of  the  native  youths  led  him  to  undertake  for 
a  time  the  superintendence  of  the  school. 

The  first  church  at  which  the  Bishop 
preached  was  the  old  one  at  the  Eapids,  on 

the  Sunday  after  his  arrival. 

• 

"  It  was  densely  crowded,  and  many  were  outside  at 
the  doors  and  windows  endeavoring  to  see  and  hear.  1 
preached  again  from  the  same  text  as  at  York  Fort,  wish- 
ing to  place  it  before  them  as  the  text  that  dwelt  most  on 
my  own  mind  in  meeting  them  for  the  first  time.  In  re- 
membrance of  the  many  mercies  we  had  experienced  by 
land  and  sea,  I  invited  them  to  the  Lord's  Supper  on  the 
following  Sunday,  and  although  it  was  not  one  of  their 
usual  periods  for  the  administration  of  the  Sacrament,  I 
was  not  a  little  delighted  to  find  no  less  than  167  com- 
municants, and  this  in  a  church  which  would  not  hold 
above  300.  The  appearance  of  the  congregation  is  very 
devotional ;  they  respond  well,  they  sing  with  heart  and 

devoted  to  the  mental  and  spiritual  improvement  of  his 
pupils.  He  was  a  man  of  ability  and  solid  piety,  and  his 
loss  was  deeply  felt  in  the  colony.  His  anxious  desire  had 
been  to  be  permitted  to  see  the  Bishop,  but  this  was  with- 
held from  him,  and  his  lordship's  first  appearance  at  the 
Upper  Church  was  to  attend  his  remains  to  their  resting- 
place 


262         THE   RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 


soul.  The  first  burst  of  music,  when  they  all  joined  in 
the  psalm  of  praise,  quite  upset  and  overpowered  me  ;  in- 
deed I  have  not  heard  any  sound  sweeter  to  my  ear  since 
I  left  England.  The  more  I  have  seen  of  this  congrega- 
tion and  its  pastor,  the  more  I  like  them." 

The  people  had  been  very  anxious  thai  their 
new  church  should  have  been  ready  before 
his  lordship's  arrival,  but  with  all  their  efforts 
they  could  not  get  it  completed  till  the  middle 
of  December. 

"  The  19th,"  writes  the  Bishop,  "  was  fixed  on  for  tho 
consecration.  The  morning  was  very  sharp  and  cold,  and 
we  had  to  start  betimes  to  accomplish  the  distance  (four- 
teen miles)  in  time.  The  sight  on  the  river  was  a  very 
pretty  one,  and  if  it  could  have  been  witnessed  by  friends 
at  home,  it  would  have  been  very  gratifying  to  them.  We 
were  quite  a  cavalcade — twelve  carioles,  one  after  another, 
from  this  part  of  the  settlement  (the  Upper) ;  and  as  wt 
went  on  many  more  fell  into  the  line.  At  times  the  sun 
shone  brightly  on  the  pure  surface  of  the  snow,  and 
caused  a  dazzling  reflection,  while  the  whole  effect  was 
heightened  by  the  pleasing  sound  of  bells  on  many  of  the 
horses.  The  church  was  extremely  well  filled  before  the 
commencement  of  the  service ;  every  one  was  interested, 
and  I  cannot  describe  my  own  personal  feelings ;  my 
gratification,  at  witnessing  such  a  sight — the  Indian  and 
the  Briton  uniting  in  dedicating  a  fresh  temple  to  the  liv- 
ing God, — and  my  thankfulness  for  being  permitted  to 
take  any  part  in  this  good  work.  I  cannot  reflect  without 


THE  BISHOP  OF  RUPERT'S  LAND.       263 


self-abasement  on  the  toil  and  labors  which  others  have 
endured  in  laying  the  foundation  of  the  Church  of  Christ 
in  this  land,  while  I  have  at  once  so  much  enjoyment  in 
reaping  the  fruit  of  their  self-denial,  of  their  days  and 
years  of  constant  hardships.  May  God  bless  and  guide 
me  in  raising  the  superstructure :  may  He  enable  me  in 
His  mercy  to  strengthen  and  consolidate  the  whole !" 

The  next  Sunday,  December  23,  the  Bishop 
ordained  Mr.  Chapman,  when,  many  having 
come  from  the  other  congregations,  there  was 
a  still  larger  assemblage  than  on  the  preceding 
Wednesday.  The  Bishop  had  given  notice 
of  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  to  his  surprise  250 
responded  to  the  invitation. 

"  All  drew  near  in  the  most  devout  and  reverent  man- 
ner ;  I  saw  the  lips  of  many  moving  in  secret  prayer,  and 
several  of  them  were  in  tears.  It  was  indeed  a  day  of 
joy,  the  first  Sabbath  and  the  first  communion  in  that 
church,*  and  the  ordination  of  another  minister  of  God's 
word." 

On  Christmas  Day  the  Bishop  officiated  at 
the  Indian  church.  Circumstances  had  pre- 
vented his  doing  so  before,  but,  as  he  told  the 
people,  there  could  not  have  been  a  more  suit- 

*  The  name  of  St.  Andrews  had  been  fixed  on  by  the 
people  for  their  church  before  the  arrival  of  the  Bishop. 


264         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

able  day  for  his  first  addressing  them  than 
that  on  which  we  hail  the  glad  tidings  of  great 
joy  in  the  birth  of  a  Eedeemer.  He  had 
gone  down  to  the  village  on  the  preceding  af- 
ternoon, to  be  ready  for  the  services  of  the 
morrow,  and  our  readers  will  like  to  hear  his 
own  account  of  this  Christmas  Eve  : — 

"  The  ride  from  the  Lower  Fort  to  the  Indian  church  is 
the  prettiest  in  the  settlement,  and  the  day  was  bright  and 
beautiful,  so  that  I  saw  it  to  advantage.  The  greater 
part  of  the  way  you  drive  through  the  woods,  till  you 
suddenly  come  on  the  river  at  a  small  island,  where  it 
widens  and  forms  a  large  sheet  of  water  almost  like  a 
lake*,  between  the  island  and  the  Indian  church.  The 
flag  was  hoisted  before  the  houses  of  Mr.  Smithurst  and 
the  Chief  Pigwys  in  honor  of  my  arrival.  In  the  after- 
noon I  visited  the  chief,  and  conversed  with  him  for  some 
time ;  and  finding  that  his  grandson  was  to  be  baptized 
the  next  day,  I  promised  to  do  this  myself.  In  the  even- 
ing, according  to  good  old  English  customs,  Mr.  Smith- 
urst distributed  meat  and  vegetables  among  the  poor; 
every  widow  six  pounds  of  beef  and  a  quarter  of  a  bushel 
of  turnips.  We  then  had  service  in  the  church,  as  it  is 
always  Mr.  Smithurst's  custom  to  have  a  short  service 
on  the  evening  before  the  administration  of  the  Lord's 
Supper. 

"  The  following  morning  the  weather  had  changed,  a 

*  Or  crescent  bay ;  see  page  120. 


THE  BISHOP  OF  KUPEHT'S  LAND.       265 


very  high  wind,  with  a  severe  and  drifting  snow-storm ; 
but  we  found  no  empty  seats  in  church,  above  250  as- 
sembled to  celebrate  the  birth  of  their  Saviour ;  and  out 
of  these,  86  joined  together  to  commemorate  His  dying 
love  at  His  holy  table. 

"  There  is  a  remarkable  stillness  in  the  Indian  church 
during  divine  service,  and  great  reverence  of  manner ; 
and  we  noticed  here,  as  we  had  done  at  the  Rapids,  that 
many  were  in  tears  while  kneeling  to  communicate. 

"  I  preached  in  the  morning  from  Luke  ii.  15.  In  the 
afternoon  the  first  part  of  the  service  was^read  by  Mr. 
Hunt  in  English,  the  remainder  in  Cree  by  Mr.  Smithurst. 
I  baptized  the  grandson  of  the  chief,  the  child  of  his 
eldest  Christian  son  ;  after  which  there  was  a  short  ser- 
mon in  Cree  read  by  the  schoolmaster,  who  had  translated 
it  from  one  in  Jowett's  '  Christian  visitor.'  This  is  found 
to  be  generally  a  better  plan  than  the  words  of  the  clergy- 
man being  translated,  sentence  by  sentence,  by  an  inter- 
preter. The  singing  was  remarkably  good,  and  the  peo- 
ple seemed  to  enjoy  it ;  they  have  been  taught  by  Mr. 
Smithurst,  and  since  Mr.  Hunt's  arrival  he  has  kindly  as- 
sisted. We  had  the  usual  Christmas  hymns,  *  While 
Shepherds,'  '  High  let  us  swell,'  and  e  Hark,  the  herald 
angels  sing ;'  and  at  the  conclusion,  the  Evening  Hymn 
to  Tallis's  beautiful  melody.  I  could  not  restrain  the  ex- 
pression of  my  pleasure  after  all  was  finished,  and  told 
them  how  much  I  had  enjoyed  the  services  of  the  day,  and 
how  delighted  I  was  to  find  that  they  could  join  in  such  a 
way  in  the  praises  of  our  Heavenly  Father." 

The  next  morning,  before  the  Bishop  left 
the  village,  the  chief  called  to  present  him 


266         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

with  a  calumet  of  peace :  it  was  a  very  pretty 
one,  with  an  ornamental  handle,  and  the 
mouthpiece  was  made  of  the  celebrated  red 
stone  mentioned  by  Catlin. 

We  shall  conclude  this  chapter  with  a  few. 
notices  of  the  general  state  of  the  Missions  on 
the  Eed  Eiver  up  to  June,  1850. 

The  Bishop  had  examined  several  of  the 
schools  supported  by  the  Church  Missionary 
Society,  and  was  much  pleased  with  them, 
and  mentions  the  universal  excellency  of  the 
writing  and  accuracy  of  spelling  ;  but  we  have 
no  farther  particulars  of  any  except  the  prin- 
cipal one  at  the  Eapids,  where  we  are  told  that 
"while  the  knowledge  of  sacred  things  takes 
precedence  of  all  other,  the  boys  of  the  first 
class  are  almost  masters  of  the  maps  and 
globes,  and  have  made  good  progress  in  Eng- 
lish history." 

On  the  10th  of  January,  1850,  a  Missionary 
Meeting  was  held,  and  a  Church  Missionary 
Association  for  Kupert's  Land  was  organized ; 
sermons  were  also  preached  in  the  different 
churches.  The  Governor  made  a  munificent 


THE  BISHOP   OF  RUPERT'S  LAND.       267 

donation  of  50£,  and  the  congregations  con- 
tributed largely,  considering  their  circumstan- 
ces ;  viz.  29£.  9s.  in  money,  and  wheat,  barley, 
and  cloth,  to  the  amount  of  nearly  50?.  in  ad- 
dition. 

In  May,  1850,  the  Bishop  held  a  confirma- 
tion, when  nearly  four  hundred  persons  re- 
newed their  baptismal  vows. 

Mr.  Chapman  had,  upon  his  ordination  in 
December,  1849,  been  appointed  to  the  Middle 
Church,  and  Mr.  James  was  by  this  arrange- 
ment enabled  to  devote  his  whole  time  and 
energies  to  the  Rapids.  Writing  in  June, 
1850,  he  says : —  • 

"  You  will  not  expect  to  hear  of  the  conversion  of 
heathen  in  my  district,  for  though  there  are  still  numbers 
all  around  us,  there  is  not  one  remaining  within  its  limits. 
I  frequently,  however,  meet  with  some,  and  have  close  con- 
versation with  them.  They  are  generally  Saulteaux,  and 
their  prevailing  sentiment  may  be  expressed  in  the  words 
of  one  of  them  to  whom  I  lately  spoke — '  We  like  our 
ways  as  much  as  you  do  yours.'  On  my  telling  him  that 
on  my  knees  I  daily  prayed  that  the  Holy  Spirit  might 
convert  them  all  from  darkness  to  light,  he  angrily  re- 
plied, *  We  shall  be  what  we  are.'  But  among  our 
Christian  people  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  has  been 


268    THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 


deepened,  and  the  life  of  Jesus  more  manifested.  Espe- 
cially among  our  adult  youths,  I  trace  a  decision  and  seri- 
ousness which  calls  forth  the  thankfulness  and  joy  of  my 
heart.  140  were  confirmed  last  May;  and  the  number  of 
communicants  (though  I  have  lately  thought  it  right  to  ex- 
clude a  few)  amounts  to  211,  all  of  whom  I  believe  adorn 
their  professions,  and  walk  in  newness  of  life.  Our 
spacious  church  is  not  far  from  full,  and  Sabbath  desecra- 
tion is  a  thing  I  never  witness." 

We  must  add  a  word  or  two  from  our  for- 
mer friend,  Mr  Cockran : — 

"  We  do  indeed  rejoice  in  our  excellent  Bishop.  He  is 
truly  a  missionary  in  all  his  feelings  and  operations,  and 
his  heart  burns  with  ardent  zeal  to  spread  the  Gospel 
among  the  benighted  Indians.  He  has  consecrated  the 
Rapids  Church,  ordained  Mr.  Chapman,  and  held  four 
confirmations*  in  this  settlement,  in  which  he  has  con- 
firmed about  400  persons.  Those,  with  the  800  con- 
firmed by  the  Bishop  of  Montreal  in  1844,  make  a  band 
of  1200  confirmed  Christians  among  us.  At  these  four 
stations  we  have  above  400  communicants.  In  the  bury- 
ing ground  at  the  Upper  Church  lie  the  bodies  of  425  per- 
sons, many  of  whom  departed  this  life  in  the  faith,  and 
fear,  and  love  of  God,  and  are  now  before  His  throne,  and 
serve  Him  day  and  night  in  His  temple.  Thus  you  see 
we  have  a  Church  triumphant  in  heaven,  as  well  as  a 
Church  militant  on  earth.  We  may  well  ask,  '  What 
shall  we  render  unto  the  Lord  for  all  the  blessings  he 

*  This  is  exclusive  of  one  at  Cumberland  station. 


THE  BISHOP   OF  KUPERT'S  LAND.        269 

has  bestowed  upon  us  ?'    *  He  hath  done  great  things  for 
us,  whereof  we  rejoice.' " 

On  June  6,  1850,  the  Bishop  left  the  Eed 
Eiver  on  a  visit  to  Cumberland  Pas,  where  his 
presence  had  been  most  anxiously  desired  by 
Mr.  Hunter  and  his  Indians. 

He  was  accompanied  by  the  Eev.  E.  and 
Mrs.  Hunt,  who  had,  it  will  be  remembered, 
come  out  with  him  in  the  Prince  Eupert,  and 
who  had  been  appointed  to  the  remote  district 
of  English  Eiver. 

They  came  in  sight  of  the  Pas  on  Saturday 
evening,  June  29th,  just  as  the  sun  was  setting; 
"  at  the  very  moment,"  the  Bishop  writes, 
"that  I  would  have  chosen  for  my  arrival, 
and  for  my  first  view  of  the  spire  of  this 
pretty  church." 

a  This  pretty  church"  is  as  yet  a  stranger  to 
our  readers,  though  they  will  remember  that 
Mr.  Hunter  had  long  ago  fixed  on  a  site  for  it 
on  the  bank  of  the  river,  opposite  to  his  own 
house. 

The  Indians  had  been  willing  to  help,  and 
contributed  labor  and  materials  to  a  consider- 


270         THE  RAINBOW   IN  THE   NORTH. 

able  amount ;  but,  although  they  had  learnt 
enough  of  carpenter's  work  to  build  their  own 
log-houses,  there  was  no  one  competent  to  un- 
dertake the  erection  of  so  large  a  building  as  a 
church.  Mr.  Hunter  devoted  much  thought 
and  time  and  labor  to  the  subject,  but  all 
would  have  been  of  little  avail,  had  it  not 
been  for  one  of  those  providential  circumstan- 
ces, which  so  often  occur,  but  which  we  are 
sometimes  so  slow  to  acknowledge. 

Some  of  the  English  sailors  attached  to  Sir 
John  Eichardson's  last  and,  alas  !  fruitless  ex- 
pedition, had  been  sent  forward  to  be  in  readi- 
ness to  start  with  him,  and  were,  during  the 
winter  of  1847-48,  located  at  Cumberland 
Fort,  a  day  and  a  half  distance  from  the  Pas. 
One  of  the  men  was  a  carpenter,  and  he  readi- 
ly and  kindly  gave  Mr.  Hunter  all  the  assist- 
ance in  his  power  while  he  remained  in  the 
neighborhood.  The  church  progressed  consid- 
erably under  his  directions,  and  when  he  went 
away,  Mr.  Hunter  was  able  to  procure  another 
carpenter  from  Norway  House. 


THE  BISHOP  OF  RUPERT'S  LAND.          271 

At  last  the  cliurcli  was  completed.*  It 
stands  in  a  neatly-fenced  burying-ground,  and 
is  surrounded  by  several  Indian  dwellings; 
the  parsonage  stands  among  other  cottages  on 
the  opposite  bank,  and  the  whole  is  striking 
and  picturesque. 

During  his  short  sojourn  here,  the  Bishop 
consecrated  this  church  by  the  name  of  Christ's 
Church;  he  also  examined  and  confirmed  a 
hundred  and  ten  candidates,!  with  whose 
"  intelligent  and  experimental  knowledge  of 
our  most  holy  faith/'  he  expressed  himself  as 
having  been  much  surprised.  He  also  ar- 
ranged with  Mr.  Hunter  that  a  steady  and 
consistent  Christian  Indian,  named  John 
Humphible,  should  be  sent  to  Moose  Lake, 
as  the  commencement  of  a  permanent  station 
there. 

We  do  not  attempt  any  further  account  of 
the  Bishop's  visit  to  Cumberland  Pas,  because, 

*  See  engraving  in  "  Church  Missionary  Intelligencer"  for 
December,  1850. 

f  Two  of  these  wero  Abraham  and  Paul  from  lac  la  Ronge. 
See  pp.  227,  228. 


272          THE   RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

though  his  lordship  speaks  of  the  station  aa 
far  exceeding  his  expectations,  and  as  likely 
to  form  the  centre  of  widely-extended  mis- 
sionary operations,  he  has  given  us  the  hope 
of  receiving  an  account  of  it  from  his  own 
pen. 

"We  shall  therefore  only  say,  that  leaving 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunter  greatly  refreshed  and 
encouraged  by  his  kind  and  seasonable  visit, 
he  set  out  on  his  return  home  on  Monday, 
July  8,  taking  with  him  Mr.  Budd,  with  his 
eldest  son,  and  the  eldest  son  of  Mr.  Settee ; 
the  two  latter  to  be  placed  in  the  seminary, 
and  the  former  to  study  under  the  Bishop's 
own  eye,  with  a  view  to  his  future  ordination. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

BISHOP'S  VISIT  TO  CUMBERLAND  —  MR.  AND 
MRS.  HUNT'S  JOURNEY  TO  LAC  LA  RONGE  — 
RECENT  INTELLIGENCE. 

"  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters,  for  thou  shalt  find  it  after 
many  days."  —  ECCLES.  xi.  1. 


chief  object  throughout  this  little 
volume  has  been  to  lay  before  the  friends  of 
Missions  as  intelligent  and  connected  a  view 
as  we  could,  of  the  work  of  God  in  this  inter- 
esting field,  not  only  that  they  may  be  led  to 
glorify  the  power  of  His  grace,  but  also  that 
they  may  be  able  the  better  to  follow  up  its 
future  history,  as  it  will  be  recorded  in  the 
periodical  publications'*  of  the  Church  Mis- 
sionary Society. 

*  "Church  Missionary  Intelligencer,"  "Record,"  "Glean- 
er," and  "  Juvenile  Instructor,"  all  published  monthly,  and 
in  the  Annual  Report 

18 


274:         THE   RAINBOW   IN  THE  NORTH. 

For  this  reason  we  are  unwilling  to  leave 
tlie  subject  without  giving,  as  far  as  possible, 
the  actual  present  state  of  the  whole  Mission ; 
some  of  the  present  chapter  will,  therefore,  be 
occupied  in  a  kind  of  summary  of  the  differ- 
ent stations;  and  we  must  crave  the  indul- 
gence of  our  readers  if,  on  this  account,  they 
find  it  more  unconnected  and  less  interesting 
than  some  of  the  preceding  ones. 

Before,  however,  we  enter  upon  this,  we 
must  give  some  account  of  Mr.  and  Mrs 
Hunt,  and  their  progress  to  their  newly-as- 
signed district  of  English  Biver,*  in  the  far 
north-west ;  and  that  we  may  do  so  the  more 
satisfactorily,  we  will  return  to  the  time  of 
their  departure  from  the  Eed  Eiver. 

They  had  remained  during  the  winter  and 
spring  of  1849-50  at  the  Lower  Fort;  Mr. 
Hunt  rendering  valuable  help  to  Mr.  James  at 
the  Eapids,  Mrs.  Hunt  assisting  in  the  educa- 

*  The  district  of  English  River  is  computed  to  be  600 
miles  in  length  and  400  in  breadth,  covering  a  larger  portion 
of  the  earth's  surface  than  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland 
united.  It  includes  the  stations  of  Lac  la  Ronge  and  He  da 
la  Crosse. 


BISHOP'S  VISIT  TO  CUMBERLAND.       275 

tion  of  some  young  women,  and  both  of  them 
diligently  engaged  in  learning  the  language. 
They  had  much  enjoyed  these  nine  months  of 
retirement  and  Christian  intercourse ;  but  the 
rivers  were  now  open,  and  they  would  not  de- 
lay their  departure. 

Their  friends  at  the  Eed  Eiver  had  left 
nothing  undone  that  affectionate  anxiety  could 
suggest,  to  lessen  the  annoyances  of  the  voy- 
age, or  to  remove  some  of  the  difficulties  of 
their  first  settling. 

A  large  boat  had  been  prepared  for  their 
personal  accommodation,  with  an  awning  of 
oilskin  to  shelter  them  from  rain  or  heat. 
They  were  well  supplied  with  the  usually 
provided  stores  for  such  occasions.  A  few 
articles  of  necessary  furniture,  tools,  locks, 
hinges,  window-frames,  glass,  &c.,  formed  part 
of  their  cargo ;  to  which  were  added  provi- 
sions for  themselves  and  their  crews  for  the 
two  months'  voyage ;  clothes,  flour,  pemican, 
and  all  other  articles  of  food  for  themselves 
for  the  next  fifteen  months ;  besides  blankets, 


276          THE   RAINBOW   IN  THE   NORTH. 


warm  clothing,  and  flour,  for  the  destitute  In- 
dians by  whom  they  would  be  surrounded. 

The  numerous  presents  they  received  were 
very  gratifying  to  them  ;  among  other  things, 
the  congregation  at  the  Rapids  presented  them 
with  50  cwt.  of  flour  for  distribution  among 
the  Indians,  promising  them  the  same  supply 
annually  till  they  should  be  able  to  raise  it  for 
themselves.  One  poor  woman  sent  them  a 
couple  of  fowls,  another  two  dozen  of  eggs,  a 
young  girl  brought  a  pair  of  Indian  shoes, 
while  one  man  begged  their  acceptance  of  a 
basket  of  salt,  which,  strange  as  the  present 
would  seem  to  us,  was  no  inconsiderable  gift, 
where  English  salt  is  rare  and  expensive,  and 
is  sold  at  165.  the  bushel. 

It  was  a  lovely  day  when,  on  the  16th  of 
June,  their  friends  pressed  round  them  on  the 
river-side  to  bid  them  farewell,  and  to  wish 
them  every  blessing ;  and  they  entered  the 
canoe  which  was  to  bear  them  into  the  distant 
wilderness,  far  away  from  every  English 
friend  and  from  all  civilized  society.  The 
parting  could  not  be  otherwise  than  solemn 


BISHOP'S  VISIT  TO  CUMBERLAND.        277 

and  affecting,  as,  with  feelings  of  deep  emo- 
tion, they  turned  to  take  a  last  look  at  friends 
and  scenes  endeared  to  them  by  many  happy 
hours.  But  it  was  no  look  of  lingering  regret 
or  of  sorrowful  misgiving ;  they  had  counted 
the  cost,  they  felt  they  were  called  to  that  dis- 
tant sphere,  they  knew  they  should  find  a 
people  whose  hearts  the  Lord  had  prepared, 
and  they  rejoiced  "that  they  were  counted 
worthy  to  suffer"  trials  "  for  His  name." 

It  was  a  great  comfort  to  them  to  have  the 
company  of  the  Bishop  for  the  first  half  of 
the  way ;  his  cheerfulness  and  ever-ready  kind- 
ness encouraged  their  spirits  and  beguiled 
many  a  weary  hour,  and  as  long  as  they  were 
with  him,  they  felt  they  had  not  parted  from 
every  friend. 

We  shall  not  attempt  any  description  of 
their  route  to  Norway  House,  but  cannot  quite 
pass  by  one  little  incident,  which  must  have 
served  in  some  degree  to  initiate  our  Mission- 
aries into  their  future  wilderness  life.  As  they 
were  passing  up  Lake  "Winnipeg  a  violent 
thunder-storm  obliged  them  to  run  the  boats 


278         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

into  a  little  bay,  where  they  landed,  pitched 
their  tents,  and  remained  a  few  hours,  till  the 
weather  allowed  them  to  proceed.  -While 
there,  an  infant  was  brought  to  be  baptized. 
Where  its  parents  came  from,  or  how  they 
happened  to  be  on  the  spot  at  the  time,  we  are 
not  told  ;  probably  some  Christian  Indians,  on 
their  way  from  one  or  other  of  the  Company's 
posts,  had  seen  the  boats  of  our  travellers,  and 
finding  there  was  a  "praying-master"  among 
them,  availed  themselves  of  the  unexpected 
opportunity. 

Be  this  as  it  may,  the  whole  scene  was  wild 
and  peculiar.  Sabina,  a  female  servant  whom 
Mrs.  Hunt  had  brought  with  her  from  Eed 
River,  held  a  basin  filled  with  water,  which 
served  as  a  font ;  one  of  the  men  held  an  um- 
brella over  Mr.  Hunt  to  shade  him  from  the 
sun,  which  had  gleamed  out  with  scorching 
heat;  the  father,  mother,  and  godparents  of 
the  child  presented  it  for  baptism  ;  the  crews 
of  the  boats  gathered  round ;  and  there  in  the 
open  air,  on  the  shores  of  that  mighty  lake, 
with  its  pine -clad  islands  and  its  picturesque 


BISHOP'S  VISIT  TO   CUMBERLAND.       279 

rocks,  the  little  Indian  "Catherine"  was  re- 
ceived into  the  fold  of  Christ's  church,  and 
was  signed  "  with  the  sign  of  the  Cross,  in 
token  that,"  wherever  her  future  lot  should 
be  cast,  "  she  should  not  be  ashamed  to  con- 
fess Christ  crucified." 

The  party  were  much  refreshed  by  a  quiet 
Sunday  they  passed  at  Norway  House ;  and 
then,  setting  out  again,  they  crossed  the  lake 
and  soon  entered  the  Sasketchewan  River. 
Their  next  Sunday  was  spent  at  the  "  Great 
Falls"  upon  this  river,  when,  spreading  the 
sails  of  their  boats  between  the  two  trees,  they 
had  divine  service  under  the  welcome  shade. 
Their  own  crews,  and  some  Bed  River  Indians 
who  happened  to  be  there,  made  quite  a  con- 
gregation ;  and  here,  in  the  midst  of  wood  and 
water,  they  enjoyed  our  beautiful  Liturgy.* 

As  we  have  mentioned  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  they  arrived,  in  company  with  the 
Bishop,  at  Cumberland  Fas  on  Saturday,  June 

*  The  Missionaries  in  their  solitary  stations  often  speak  of 
the  great  comfort  they  find  in  our  Liturgy,  linking  them,  as 
it  were,  -with  so  many  of  God's  people  in  distant  lands. 


280          THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

29,  and  found  their  short  visit  there  very  re- 
freshing after  the  fatigues  of  the  last  three 
weeks. 

It  must  have  been  almost  like  leaving  home 
again  when  they  quitted  the  Pas,  and  left  be- 
hind them  the  last  spot  of  civilization  and 
Christian  society.  But  they  well  knew  that, 

"  Of  the  brooks  upon  the  way, 
We  may  taste,  but  not  delay ; 
Nor  must  our  high  emprise  be  for  love  of  such  forsworn."* 

And  so,  after  two  days  of  rest  and  pleasant 
intercourse,  they  bade  adieu  to  their  kind 
friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunter ;  and,  strength- 
ened and  encouraged  by  the  earnest,  affection- 
ate prayers  of  their  "  dear  and  valued  Bishop," 
set  out  again  on  the  first  or  second  of  July, 
accompanied  by  Abraham  and  Paul,  and 
kindly  supplied  by  Mr.  Hunter  with  a  stock 
of  fresh  provisions  for  the  way. 

And  now  began  the  most  difficult  and  try- 
trying  portion  of  the  voyage.  Except  on 
Sundays,  when  Mr.  Hunt  insisted  on  resting 

*  From  an  unpublished  poem  by  the  late  Dr.  Arnold. 


MB.  AND  MRS.   HUNT'S  JOURNEY.       281 

for  the  whole  day,  they  generally  started  at 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  seldom 
stopped  till  seven  or  eight  in  the  evening.  .  As 
they  advanced  into  the  interior,  the  country 
became  more  rocky  and  mountainous,  and> 
consequently,  the  "  portages"  were  more  fre- 
quent and  the  rowing  more  difficult.  At 
every  rapid  the  heavy-laden  boats  were  to  be 
unloaded  and  loaded  again ;  and,  even  when 
thus  emptied,  it  required  skill  and  indefatiga- 
ble labor  to  drag  them  up  the  stream,  and 
through  the  foaming  waters,  over  rocks  and 
beds  of  shingle,  or  to  carry  them  along  the 
steep  and  rocky  banks.  Meanwhile,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hunt  had  to  scramble  over  stones  and 
stumps  of  trees,  or  to  make  their  way  through 
the  thickly- woven  underwood,  till  they  could 
join  the  boat  again. 

To  a  lady,  the  hardships  experienced  must 
have  been  very  great;  but  Mrs.  Hunt,  like 
the  rest  of  the  sister-band  of  Missionaries  in 
Eupert's  Land,  was  largely  endued  with  that 
true  feminine  courage,  which,  though  it  will 
not  invite  toil,  or  hardship,  or  suffering,  yet 
24* 


282         THE   RAINBOW  IN  THE   NORTH. 

does  not  shrink  from  them  when  they  come, 
and  meets  them  with  cheerful,  uncomplaining, 
"high-enduring  strength." 

Nothing  strikes  an  English  person  more 
than  the  loneliness  of  these  wilds.  Our 
travellers  passed  many  days  without  seeing  a 
human  being,  save  their  own  boats'  crew  ;  and 
often,  during  the  long  hours  they  passed  sit- 
ting at  the  stern  of  their  little  vessel,  nothing 
was  heard  ,to  break  the  deep  silence  except 
the  song  of  some  unknown  bird,  the  sound  of 
the  rippling  waters,  or  the  measured  splash  of 
oars. 

Thus  passed  days  and  weeks  ;  they  had  left 
the  Pas  on  the  1st  or  2d  of  July,  and  it  was 
now  the  26th.  The  river  Sasketchewan  .had 
long  been  left  behind,  and  for  more  than  a 
fortnight  they  had  been  ascending  one  of  its 
tributary  streams.  They  had  arrived  at  the 
Frog  Portage,  where,  quitting  the  stream  alto- 
gether, the  boats  and  their  cargoes  were 
dragged  over  rough  and  rugged  ground  for 
half-a-quarter  of  a  mile  to  the  Eapid  Eiver ; 
and  they  were  now  within  one  short  day's 


MR.  AND   MRS.   HUNT'S  JOURNEY.       283 

journey  of  the  Company's  post,  and  not  quite 
two  from  the  place  of  their  destination.  Here 
it  had  been  arranged  that  Indians  from  Lac 
la  Eonge  should  meet  them  with  canoes,  and 
convey  them  the  remainder  of  the  way ;  but 
they  were  much  disappointed  to  find,  on  their 
arrival  at  the  appointed  spot,  that  the  people, 
tired  of  waiting,  had  all  gone  back,  except 
three  men  with  one  small  canoe. 

What  was  to  be  done  ?  The  boats'  crews 
who  had  brought  them  hitherto,  worn  out 
and  dispirited  with  the  length  and  difficulties 
of  the  way,  refused  to  go  further,  and  nothing 
remained  but  for  Mr.  Hunt  to  get  into  the 
Lac  la  Eonge  canoe,  and  proceed  to  the  Fort 
to  endeavor  to  obtain  assistance.  There  was 
no  room  in  it  for  Mrs.  Hunt  or  her  maid,  and 
although  it  required  some  little  faith  and 
courage,  she  cheerfully  consented  to  remain 
behind  in  the  boat  till  Mr.  Hunt's  return, 
which  could  not  be  till  the  middle  of  the  fol- 
lowing day.  Situated  as  she  was,  alone  among 
so  many  Indians,  we  can  well  understand  that 
the  present  of  a  moose-chop  from  one  of  the 


284:    THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

crew  was  no  unwelcome  token  of  good-will ; 
and,  commending  herself  and  Sabina  to  the 
care  of  Him,  "who  never  slumbereth  nor 
sleepeth,"  they  both  "laid  them  down  in 
peace,  and  rose  again,  for  the  Lord  sustained 
them." 

At  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  they  were 
summoned  to  leave  the  boat,  and  walking 
some  little  distance  to  a  tent  that  was  pitched 
for  them,  where  they  enjoyed  a  refreshing 
beverage  of  wild  gooseberries  boiled  in  water, 
they  quietly  awaited  the  return  of  Mr.  Hunt. 

He  brought  back  the  required  help,  and 
before  night-fall  they  reached  the  eastern  shore 
of  Lac  la  Eonge,  where  they  found  a  kind  and 
hospitable  welcome  from  Mr.  Lewis,  the  gen- 
tleman in  charge  of  the  Company's  post  there. 
The  next  day  was  Sunday,  and  Mr.  Hunt  was 
glad  of  the  opportunity  of  holding  divine  ser- 
vice. On  Monday,  July  29,  they  left  the  fort 
early,  and  crossing  the  lake,  arrived  at  Mr. 
Settee's  dwelling  in  the  course  of  the  after- 
noon, "  our  clothes  and  provisions,"  writes  our 
Missionary,  "  nearly  in  the  same  condition  as 


MR.  AND  MRS.   HUNT'S  JOURNEY.       285 

those  the  Gibeonites  brought  with  them  to 
Joshua ;  but  here  we  are,  and  most  heartily  we 
thank  God  for  it."  Two  rooms  had  been 
prepared  for  themselves  and  their  servant,  and 
here  they  were  to  pass  the  eight  months  of 
the  ensuing  winter. 

Their  first  impressions  on  arriving  at  the 
lake  were  anything  but  favorable  as  to  its 
fitness  for  a  permanent  residence.  Nothing 
was  to  be  seen  but  rocks  and  water,  except 
that  here  and  there  a  little  soil  had  drifted 
into  the  chasms,  and  afforded  a  precarious 
nourishment  to  a  few  trees.  At  one  part  the 
granite  rocks  had  once  been  covered  with 
herbage ;  but  twelve  years  before,  a  prairie  fire 
had  swept  over  them,  and  no  trace  of  vegeta- 
tion now  remained. 

As  they  approached  the  Missionary  station, 
however,  the  aspect  of  things  rather  improved. 
Mr.  Settee  had  succeeded  in  finding  a  spot 
where  the  granite  rock  had  given  place  to  a 
cold,  damp  clay,  covered  in  some  places  with 
vegetable  mould  to  the  depth  of  five  or  six 
inches.  It  was  thick  with  underwood,  among 


286    THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

which  were  found  the  wild  gooseberry,  rasp- 
berry, strawberry,  and  cranberry.  Many  pines, 
poplars,  and  birches,  grew  there  also ;  and  Mr. 
Hunt  was  encouraged  to  hope,  that  by  clear- 
ing and  draining,  the  land  might  eventually 
be  made  capable  of  cultivation.  This  would, 
however,  require  a  long  time  and  much  labor  ; 
and  till  then  they  must  depend  for  their  sup- 
plies of  flour,  potatoes,  &c.,  on  the  settlement 
at  Eed  Kiver.*  Of  animal  food  they  were 
likely,  during  great  part  of  the  year,  to  find  a 
good  supply  on  the  spot.  The  moose-deer  are 
often  plentiful  in  the  neighborhood;  ducks 
and  geese  may  also  be  procured ;  and,  in  their 
season,  there  would  be  pheasants  and  grouse. 

At  the  time  of  our  Missionaries'  arrival 
there  were  not  more  than  ten  Indians  at  the 
place ;  but  they  hoped  soon  to  see  a  larger 
number  assembled  from  their  distant  grounds. 

The  appearance  of  the  children  was  very 
miserable,  and  excited  the  compassion  of  Mrs. 

*  Should  cultivation  prove  impracticable,  the  station 
will,  probably,  be  removed  to  Green  Lake,  another  of  the 
outposts  of  lie  de  la  Crosse,  and  a  more  promising  spot. 


ME.  AND  MRS.   HUNT'S  JOURNEY.       287 

Hunt ;  but  as  her  last  letter  was  written  only 
on  the  day  after  her  arrival,  she  had  not  then 
been  able  to  form  any  definite  plan.  A  school- 
room had  been  begun,  but  was  not  finished, 
there  being  no  parchment  at  hand  for  the 
windows ;  and  for  some  time  past,  Mr.  Settee 
bad  been  so  entirely  occupied  in  his  other 
duties,  that  the  school  had  been  suspended. 

The  temporal  condition  of  the  poor  Indians 
in  this  wilderness  seems  to  be  most  wretched, 
and  their  sufferings  during  the  winter  are 
sometimes  fearful.  Mr.  Hunt  relates  the  cases 
of  no  fewer  than  seventeen  individuals  whom 
Mr.  Settee  had,  during  the  preceding  winter 
of  1849-50,  been  the  means  of  saving  from 
destruction,  and  from  becoming  a  prey  to  the 
hungry  wolves  that  roam  throughout  these 
howling  wastes.  Some  particulars  of  these 
will  interest  our  readers : — 

"  On  January  26, 1850,  an  Indian  arrived  at  Mr.  Settee's 
in  a  state  of  almost  starvation.  Food  was  given  him,  and, 
while  eagerly  eating  it,  he  fell  backward  from  exhaustion, 
and  was  only  just  able  to  say  that  he  had  *  thrown  a  way' 
his  family, — meaning,  that  he  had  left  them  so  worn  out 
with  cold  and  hunger  that  they  could  go  no  further. 


288         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE   NORTH. 


Abraham  happened  to  be  just  then  at  the  station,  and 
with  his  characteristic  zeal  and  energy  set  out  in  search 
of  them,  though  the  only  traces  he  had  of  them  were  the 
footsteps  of  the  man  on  the  moss  and  snow.  He  walked 
all  that  night,  all  the  ne*t  day,  and  following  night.  The 
cold  was  severe,  the  walking  in  the  snow  fatiguing ;  but 
he  would  not  give  up  the  search.  At  last  he  found  them 
— a  woman,  two  young  men,  and  three  children — huddled 
together  in  the  snow,  but  still  alive.  He  lighted  a  fire, 
made  broth  of  some  fish  he  had  brought  with  him,  and 
carefully  fed  them  with  this  till  they  were  sufficiently  re- 
vived to  return  with  him." 

A  fortnight  later,  another  family — Henry 
Bear,  his  wife,  and  child — arrived  at  the  mis- 
sionary dwelling.  They  were  wasted  with 
cold  and  hunger,  having  eaten  nothing  for 
seven  days  ;*  but  by  kind  and  judicious  treat- 
ment their  lives  were  preserved,  though  the 
infant  continued  very  unhealthy. 

Before  the  month  of  February  had  closed, 
two  half-famished  women  made  their  appear- 
ance, and  stated  that  their  husbands  and  three 
children  were  perishing  in  the  snow  from  want 
of  food.  An  Indian,  who  was  suffering  great* 

*  The  Indians  have  great  power  of  abstinence,  and  it  ia 
Baid  that  some  have  been  known  to  fast  for  ten  days  to- 
gether. 


MB.  AND  MRS.  HUNT'S  JOURNEY.       289 

ly  from  a  wound  in  his  neck,  set  off  in  search 
of  them,  and  after  five  days  brought  them  all 
safely  to  this  house  of  mercy. 

Mr.  Hunt  adds : — 

"  One  more  tale  of  pity  for  the  Dorcases  of  our  Society. 
Among  the  children  whom  I  found  here,  boarded,  clothed, 
and  educated  at  the  Society's  expense,  are  four,  whose 
history  I  must  relate. 

"  One  day,  Mr.  Settee  saw  a  canoe  on  the  lake,  drifting 
towards  the  station ;  it  was  nearly  filled  with  water,  and  a 
young  child  was  attempting  to  paddle  it  with  a  stick.  As 
he  watched  it  three  other  little  heads  appeared.  He  went 
to  it  as  it  neared  the  shore,  and  recognized  the  children 
whose  mother  he  had  buried  not  long  before.  He  found 
from  them  that  their  father  had  taken  them  ashore,  and 
after  striking  a  light  and  giving  it  to  the  eldest,  lay  down, 
as  they  supposed,  to  sleep.  But  he  slept  so  long  that 
they  were  frightened  :  they  called  to  him,  but  he  did  not 
answer ;  they  pushed  him,  but  he  did  not  stir ;  so  they  got 
into  the  boat  and  came  away.  Mr.  Settee  went  immedi- 
ately in  search  of  the  poor  man,  and  found  him  dead  upon 
the  shore.  He  buried  the  body,  and  took  the  children  to 
his  own  house." 

More  widely  separated  as  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hunt  are  from  all  civilized  and  social  inter- 
course than  any  of  their  fellow-laborers,  they 
seem  to  claim  our  peculiar  sympathy  and  inter- 
19 


290         THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

est.*  Roughly  estimated,  their  distance  from 
Cumberland  is  above  400  miles,  and  not  less 
than  800  from  Red  River;  yet  if  they  have 
the  presence  of  their  God  and  Saviour  abid- 
ing in  their  hearts,  and  if  they  are  permitted 
to  form  another  oasis  of  Christianity  and  civi- 
lization in  that  moral  desert,  they  will  not  feel 
the  loneliness  of  their  position,  but  will  rejoice 
in  Him  who  maketh  "the  wilderness  a  pool 
of  water,  and  the  dry  land  springs  of  water.'9 
Before  we  leave  the  neighborhood  of  Lac  la 
Ronge,  we  must  recall  to  our  readers  the  still 
more  distant  station  of  He  de  la  Crosse,f  to 
which,  they  will  remember,  James  Beardy 
proceeded,  when  his  place  at  Lac  la  Ronge 
was  supplied  by  Mr.  Settee.  We  have  not 

*  If  any  friends  are  disposed  to  assist  this  station,  or  any 
other  in  Rupert's  Land,  by  presents  of  warm  clothing  for  the 
people,  or  of  articles  for  the  use  of  the  schools  and  for  re- 
wards,  they  will  be  most  thankfully  received ;  and,  if  sent  to 
the  Church  Missionary  House,  Salisbury  Square,  by  the 
middle  of  May,  will  be  forwarded  by  the  ships  of  the  same 
season.  Those  sent  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunt  will  not,  however, 
probably  reach  them  for  fourteen  months,  as  they  will  have 
to  remain  during  the  winter  at  Norway  House. 

f  Ten  days'  journey  beyond  Lac  la  Ronge. 


RECENT  INTELLIGENCE.  291 

any  very  recent  particulars  from  it ;  the  last 
we  have  heard  of  it  was  a  visit  Mr.  Settee  paid 
in  the  winter  of  1849-50.  There  were  at  that 
time  not  many  Indians  there,  but  the  few  he 
saw  were  in  a  very  promising  state  of  mind. 

An  interesting  incident  occurred  on  his 
journey  thither.  Observing  a  great  smoke  at 
some  little  distance,  he  made  towards  the  spot, 
and  found  one  man  and  four  women,  with 
several  children,  sitting  on  the  ground  in  great 
grief.  They  were  mourning  over  the  loss  of  a 
brother,  to  whom  they  were  strongly  attached, 
and  seemed  inconsolable.  Mr.  Settee  spoke 
to  them  of  Him  who  is  "  the  Resurrection  and 
the  Life;"  and  their  softened  hearts  were  so 
interested  that  they  begged  him  to  remain 
with  them  a  little  while  and  tell  them  more* 
He  did  so :  the  rest  of  the  day  and  the  greatest 
part  of  the  night  were  passed  in  telling  them 
of  Him  who  came  into  the  world  to  save  sin- 
ners ;  and  when  he  left  them  on  the  following 
morning  to  pursue  his  journey,  they  promised 
to  await  his  return  at  the  same  spot.  On  his 
way  back,  a  fortnight  after,  he  found  them 


292  THE   RAINBOW   IN  THE  NORTH. 

still  there.  He  again  remained  a  day  and  a 
night  with  them,  and  taught  them  the  Lord's 
Prayer  and  two  hymns.  They  seemed  seri- 
ously impressed,  and  declared  their  intention 
of  relinquishing  their  heathen  practices,  of  no 
longer  worshipping  wood  and  stone,  and  of 
coming  to  his  school. 

We  hope  the  next  accounts  will  tell  us  more 
of  these  poor  people. 

"We  must  now  return  to  the  Bishop  and 
Mr.  Budd,  whom  we  left  on  their  way  from 
Cumberland  to  the  Eed  Eiver. 

Mr.  Budd  remained  for  several  months  at 
the  Upper  Settlement,  pursuing  his  studies 
under  the  kind  care  of  the  Bishop,  and  win- 
ning the  approbation  and  affection  of  the 
Missionaries  and  the  people,  till,  on  December 
22,  after  a  strict  and  very  satisfactory  exam- 
ination, he  was  admitted  to  holy  orders. 

Mr.  Chapman  and  Mr.  Taylor,  the  latter  of 
whom  had  lately  arrived,  were  ordained  priests 
at  the  same  time  ;  and,  under  date  of  January, 
1851,  the  Bishop,  speaking  of  this  ordination, 
writes : — 


RECENT  INTELLIGENCE.  293 


"December  22d  will  long  be  remembered  by  us  all,  and 
also  the  Missionary  Meeting  of  January  3d.  The  ordina- 
tion, December  22d,  was  throughout  a  most  solemn  and 
impressive  service.  All  the  clergy  were  present,  except 
Mr.  Hunter  and  Mr.  Hunt ;  Mr.  Cowley  having  arrived 
the  previous  afternoon.  Many  were  present  from  all  the 
different  congregations,  and  St.  Andrew's  Church  was 
filled  to  overflowing.  The  sight  on  the  river  was  beauti- 
ful ;  there  might  have  been  two  hundred  carioles  passing 
to  the  house  of  God.  The  number  within  the  walls  was 
.about  eleven  hundred  ;  and  the  number  of  communicants 
at  the  conclusion  was  nearly  three  hundred.  All  the 
clergy  present  took  some  part  in  the  service.  Mr.  Budd 
read  the  Gospel,  Matt.  ix.  36 ;  a  very  suitable  one  from 
his  lips. 

"  I  felt  much  the  solemn  responsibility  and  high  privi- 
lege of  ordaining  the  first  native  minister  ;  and  I  believe 
all  present  shared  in  the  feeling." 

Our  newly-ordained  Missionary  read  pray- 
ers on  Christmas  Day  for  the  first  time,  and 
preached  in  Indian  in  the  afternoon,  from  the 
words,  "  The  dayspring  from  on  high  hath 
visited  us  ;"  and  in  consequence  of  the  urgent 
request  of  the  people  at  the  Eapids,  he  preached 
there  also  in  Indian  on  Monday,  December 
30.  There  were  at  least  five  hundred  persons 
present,  and,  as  most  of  the  people  there  are 
either  Indians  or  half-breeds,  he  was  well  un- 
25* 


294:    THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

derstood.  Among  them  were  many  Indiana 
from  the  neighborhood,  who  still  reject  the 
Gospel ;  they  appeared  absorbed  in  what  they 
heard,  ^nd  kept  their  eyes  steadily  fixed  on 
Mr.  Budd.  One  of  his  hearers  was  his  own 
mother ;  her  countenance  expressing  every 
emotion  which  might  be  supposed  to  fill  the 
heart  of  a  Christian  Indian  mother  at  thus 
witnessing  her  son  as  the  first  "  ambassador 
for  Christ"  from  among  her  own  people.  Mr, 
James  adds — "I  listened  and  gazed,  and 
thanked  God  for  what  I  saw  and  heard." 

Mr.  Budd  preached  also  at  the  Indian  Vil- 
lage, and  at  the  Upper  Settlement;  and  so 
strong  was  the  feeling  towards  him  on  the 
part  of  his  fellow  Indians  throughout  the 
colony,  that  it  was  difficult  to  convince  them 
that  his  sphere  of  duty  lay  far  distant.  Those 
of  the  Middle  Church  district,  when  they 
found  he  must  leave  them,  agreed  together  to 
promise  him  assistance  in  his  new  station, 
wherever  it  might  be ;  and  engaged,  as  soon 
as  the  spring  was  sufficiently  advanced,  to 
send  him  eighty  bushels  of  corn,  sixty  yards 


RECENT   INTELLIGENCE.  295 

of  printed  cloth,  and  31  or  4:1.  in  money.  "  This 
was  not  only  a  delightful  proof  of  their  good 
feeling,  but  will  prove  a  substantial  help  to 
him." 

On  January  6,  1851,  he  left  the  Red  River, 
proceeding  to  Partridge  Crop  in  company  with 
Mr.  Cow  ley,  from  whence  he  was  to  travel 
the  rest  of  the  way  on  foot  to  Cumberland,  to 
remain  for  the  present  with  Mr.  Hunter,  and 
soon,  it  was  hoped,  to  form  a  permanent  set- 
tlement at  Moose  Lake.  The  Bishop  speaks 
of  him  with,  affectionate  kindness,  and  with 
earnest  desires  for  the  fulness  of  the  Divine 
blessing  upon  him  and  upon  his  work. 

May  he  indeed  follow  him  whose  honored 
name  he  bears,  as  he  has  followed  Christ! 
But  we  must  not  forget  that,  as  the  first 
clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England  from 
among  his  own  countrymen,  he  will  be  ex- 
posed to  peculiar  temptations,  and  will  espe- 
cially need  the  prayers  of  the  people  of  God, 
that  Satan  may  not  get  an  advantage  over 
him. 


296    THE  RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

And  now,  shortly  to  sum  up  the  present 
state  of  our  Mission  in  Rupert's  Land. 

The  Bishop,  beloved  and  respected  by  all, 
resides  at  the  Upper  Settlement,  where,  in 
addition  to  his  other  duties,  he  interests  him- 
self in  the  education  of  the  youths  in  the 
seminary ;  intending,  if  so  permitted  in  the 
providence  of  God,  at  some  future  time  to  es- 
tablish a  college  where  young  men  may  be 
prepared  for  ordination.  Mr.  Cockran  is  also 
at  the  Upper  Settlement,  as  chaplain  to  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company ;  still  active,  energetic, 
and  with  a  heart  as  devoted  as  ever  to  the 
work  of  his  Lord  and  Saviour. 

The  Middle  Church  is  prospering  under  the 
charge  of  Mr.  Chapman ;  and  Mr.  James  still 
lives  in  the  hearts  of  his  people  at  the  Eapids, 
though  the  state  of  Mrs.  James's  health  will,  it 
is  feared,  oblige  them  soon  to  pay  a  visit  to 
England. 

Mr  Smithurst  remains  at  the  Indian  Til- 
lage ;  a  slight  cloud,  that  for  a  moment  hung 
over  some  of  the^people  there,  has  passed 
away  and  all  again  is  bright. 


RECENT  INTELLIGENCE.  297 

Mr.  Cowley  continues  at  Manitoba  Lake, 
his  health  a  good  deal  shaken ;  but  laboring 
among  the  still  indifferent  Indians  with  the 
same  unwearying  love  and  unmurmuring  pa- 
tience that  have  always  marked  his  course. 
His  hands  have  been  lately  strengthened  by 
the  accession  of  a  valuable  assistant  in  Mr, 
Charles  Pratt,  a  contemporary  at  the  Indian 
School  of  Mr.  Budd  and  Mr.  Settee,  like  them 
a  pure  Indian,  and  giving  the  same  promise 
of  future  usefulness. 

A  new  station  is  about  to  be  commenced  at 
Moose  Fort,*  at  the  head  of  James's  Bay  ;  and 
the  Bishop,  in  speaking  of  the  many  promis- 
ing openings  for  Missionary  stations,  enume- 
rates the  following: — York  Fort,  including 
Churchill ;  Fort  Alexander,  on  the  River  Win- 
nipeg ;  Fort  Pelley,  near  the  Lake ;  and  Swan 
Eiver,  between  Manitoba  and  Cumberland; 
besides  several  new  out-stations  from  Cumber- 
land and  Lac  la  Ronge ;  and  Fort  Chippewyan 
in  the  Athabasca  country. 

*  This  must  not  be  mistaken  for  Moose  Lake,  near  Cum* 
berland. 


298          THE   RAINBOW   IN   THE   NORTH. 

We  must  pause  here,  earnestly  to  lay  before 
our  readers  the  responsibility  that  lies  upon 
us  all,  as  members  of  a  Church  that  holds  the 
pure  faith  of  the  Gospel,  not  only  of  doing  all 
that  in  us  lies  to  supply  the  wants  of  this  and 
our  every  other  mission,  but  more  especially 
of  cultivating  an  habitual  spirit  of  prayer,  that 
"the  Lord  of  the  harvest  would  send  forth  la- 
borers into  His  harvest." 

The  passage  of  Scripture  at  the  head  of  this 
chapter  gives  us  every  encouragement ;  let  us 
turn  to  it  and  recall  the  events  of  the  last 
thirty  years. 

Looking  back  to  the  time  when  the  Prince 
of  Darkness  held  undisputed  sway  over  this 
whole  land,  when  no  light  had  as  yet  pene- 
trated an  Indian  wigwam;  and,  recalling  the 
first  faint  gleams  that  shone  round  the  path 
of  our  earliest  Missionary,  let  us  contrast 
with  this  the  present  state  of  things. 

It  was  in  September,  1820,  that  Mr.  West 
taught  Henry  Budd,  his  first  Indian  boy,  that 
short  and  simple  prayer — "  Great  Father,  teach 
me,  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake ;"  and  in  December, 


RECENT  INTELLIGENCE.  299 

1850,  Henry  Budd  is  ordained  as  a  herald  of 
salvation  to  his  countrymen. 

On  October  4,  1820,  the  Missionary  lifted 
up  his  solitary  voice,  in  a  room  at  the  Upper 
Fort,  to  proclaim  publicly,  for  the  first  time  in 
Rupert's  Land,  the  glad  tidings  of  great  joy 
for  all  people.  In  December,  1850,  we  have 
seven*  stations  with  eight  ordained  clergymen 
of  the  Church  of  England  (at  five  of  which 
suitable  and  substantial  churches  have  been 
built) ;  at  twof  other  places,  native  catechists 
are  in  charge ;  and  a  tenth;}:  position  is  about 
to  be  occupied ;  while  over  the  whole  is  placed 
a  chief  pastor,  whose  earnest  desire  it  is  to 
feed  and  guide  the  several  flocks  according  to 
the  word  of  God.§ 

*  Viz.  Upper  and  Middle  Churches,  Rapids,  Indian  Vil- 
lage, Cumberland,  Manitoba,  and  Lac  la  Ronge,  and  churches 
at  the  five  first. 

f  Moose  Lake  and  He  de  la  Crosse. 

J  Moose  Fort. 

§  Nor  would  we  omit  the  labors  of  other  Societies  who 
entered  the  field  later  than  our  own.  The  Wesleyans  have 
for  many  years  been  very  active  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Norway  and  Oxford  House,  and  the  Americans  are  still  on 
the  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  pursuing  their  work  of 
love,  while  the  blessing  of  God  rests  on  the  labors  of  both. 


300         THE   RAINBOW  IN  THE  NORTH. 

When  we  look  at  the  extent  of  Kupert'a 
Land,  we  sadly  feel  how  little  all  this  is  com- 
pared with  what  is  needed ;  yet  surely  we 
may  ask — "Has  not  the  bread  cast  upon  the 
waters  been  found  after  many  days?" 

We  must  now  bring  our  history  to  a  conclu- 
sion, but  not  till  we  have  introduced  a  few 
words  from  one  of  the  Bishop's  letters  to  the 
Committee  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society : 

"Let  me,"  writes  his  Lordship,  "assure  your  noble 
President  and  the  Committee  that  the  labors  of  the  Church 
Missionary  Society  are  most  gratefully  acknowledged 
here.  All  in  the  settlement  feel  that  they  are  what  they 
are,  as  regards  their  religious  hopes  and  privileges,  through 
your  gratuitous  exertions.  They  are  sensible,  and  pain- 
fully so,  that  they  can  do  little  to  repay  you ;  but  they 
know  that  you  look  to  something  higher  and  nobler,  even 
to  a  rich  harvest  of  souls,  rescued  from  the  power  of 
Satan  through  the  preaching  of  the  everlasting  Gospel. 
Let  me  beg,  very  affectionately,  your  earnest  and  contin- 
ued prayers,  that  a  more  abundant  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  may  attend  the  preaching  of  the  Word  of  Truth, 
through  the  length  and  breadth  of  this  mighty  land." 

And  now,  what  remains  but  to  bless  God 
who  has  thus  planted  the  bow  of  His  ever- 
lasting covenant  in  those  dark  regions?  May 


RECENT  INTELLIGENCE.  301 

it  still  spread  onward,  till  the  whole  continent, 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  be  spanned 
by  its  glorious  arch.  And  should  it  indeed 
be  that  darkness  shall  once  again  cover  our 
older  world,  may  these  Western  Churches  re- 
tain their  purity  and  light,  until  He  come  be- 
fore whose  brightness  all  reflected  glory  shall 
be  dim;  when  clouds  and  darkness,  sin  and 
suffering,  shall  forever  flee  away ;  and  when 
the  "city  shall  have  no  need  of  the  sun, 
neither  of  the  moon,  to  shine  in  it :  for  the 
glory  of  God  shall  lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb 
shall  be  the  light  thereof !" 

Amen.     Even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus, 


SINCE  the  foregoing  pages  were  written,  a 
private  letter  of  a  later  date  has  been  received 
from  Mrs.  Hunt,  extracts  from  which  have 
kindly  been  placed  in  our  hands ;  and  as  we 
are  sure  they  will  interest  our  readers,  we 
have  decided  to  insert  them  in  the  form  of 
an  Appendix : — 

"  Lac  la  Ronge  Station, 
«  August  19, 1850. 

*  *  *  «  Let  me  tell  you,  in  the  first  place,  and  tell  it  to 
the  praise  of  our  God,  to  whom  all  praise  is  due,  that  we 
are  very  comfortable  indeed.  I  felt  happy  and  comforta- 
ble at  Red  River,  but  I  am  more  so  here  ;  and  I  am  more 
and  more  convinced  that  when  the  Lord  directs  us  to  any 
place,  He  Himself  goes  with  us,  and  prepares  the  way. 
Goodness  and  mercy  follow  us — would  that  we  were 
more  faithful  to  Him,  and  served  Him  better !  I  ardently 
long  for  this. 

"  As  to  our  daily  temporal  mercies,  they  abound ;  and  I 
do  feel  that,  while  the  Lord  is  so  watchful  and  tender  over 
ws,  we  bhould  indeed  give  up  our  all  for  Him  and  His 


APPENDIX.  303 


service.  We  arrived  here,  as  you  know,  on  July  29. 
three  weeks  ago,  but  are  hardly  yet  settled.  The  station 
consists  of  our  house,  Mr.  Settee's  house,  a  school-room, 
and  M'Cleod's  house.  A  short  distance  from  us  are  seve- 
ral huts  where  the  Indians  live,  and  round  us  is  wood. 
In  front  a  very  rough  path  leads  down  to  the  lake,  and 
here  the  trees  have  been  cut  down.  Mr.  Hunt  has  had 
the  ground  drained,  and  we  hope  to  have  it  planted  in  the 
spring. 

"  Mr.  Settee  has  an  enclosed  piece  of  ground,  where 
there  are  potatoes  and  a  few  turnips.  M'Cleod  has  been 
making  hay :  there  is  plenty  of  grass  near  the  lake  in 
patches,  and  as  we  hope  soon  to  have  a  cow,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  have  hay  made.  Our  house,  which  consists  of 
two  rooms,  is  really  very  comfortable.  Sabina  (the  ser- 
vant we  brought  with  us  from  Red  River)  cooks,  &c.  in 
Mr.  Settee's  kitchen. 

"  We  are  very  happy,  and  feel  little,  or  not  at  all,  the 
want  of  society ;  indeed,  our  time  is  so  fully  occupied  that 
it  is  a  great  comfort  not  to  be  called  away  from  our  daily 
duties. 

"  Now  for  a  little  account  of  our  days : — Prayers  in  the 
school-room  at  seven  o'clock.  Mr.  Hunt  rings  a  bell  a 
few  minutes  before  to  give  notice,  as  our  watches  and 
dial  are  the  only  time-pieces  here.  After  prayers  we  have 
breakfast,  which  generally  consists  of  cocoa,  biscuits,  and 
excellent  fish,  caught  that  same  morning.  After  this, 
and  a  little  time  to  myself  for  reading,  I  go  to  the  school 
from  nine  o'clock  to  twelve.  We  dine  at  two,  and  in 
the  afternoon  are  again  busy  till  six,  when  I  meet  the 
women  in  the  school-room,  and  teach  them  to  read  till 
seven,  when  we  have  evening  prayers  ;  and  after  this,  we 


304:  APPENDIX. 


often  have  to  speak  to  one  or  two,  to  whom  we  are  giving 
medicine. 

"  This  week  Mr.  Hunt  is  meeting  the  candidates  for 
baptism.  Mr.  Settee  is  a  good  schoolmaster,  and  there 
are  at  present  about  twenty  children  in  the  school.  I  have 
been  much  occupied  in  cutting  out  and  making  clothes 
for  them.  I  could  not  let  them  remain  in  the  naked  state 
they  were  in  when  we  came  here,  while  it  was  in  my 
power  to  help  it.  The  first  week  after  our  arrival  we  got 
a  dozen  clothed,  as  some  frocks,  which  Miss  Anderson 
(the  Bishop's  sister)  had  given  me,  were  ready-made.  The 
next  week  the  same  children  had  their  second  set  of 
clothes  made,  and  this  week  the  others  are  being  attended 
to.  M'Cleod's  wife,  who  is  an  Indian,  works  fast ;  and 
when  the  children  had  their  new  clothing,  she  washed 
them  and  cut  their  hair. 

"  It  is  a,  great  pleasure  to  help  them,  but  I  greatly  long  to 
be  able  to  speak  to  them  in  their  own  language,  and  tell 
them  more  fully  of  the  love  of  Jesus.  Although  they 
are  young,  they  are  not  too  young  to  be  made  lambs  in 
His  fold  :  though  ignorant,  they  are  not  too  ignorant  to  be 
taught  of  the  Spirit  and  led  to  believe  on  Jesus.  Will 
you  not  pray  that  God's  Holy  Spirit  may  indeed  work 
in  the  midst  of  us,  and  that  many  may  be  savingly  con- 
verted ? 

"  There  have  been  some  marriages  and  some  baptisms 
since  we  came.  A  little  baby,  that  has  long  been  ill,  died 
this  morning.  The  parents  sent  it  to  the  school-room,  as 
the  Indians  do  not  like  to  have  a  dead  body  near  them  ;  so 
there  is  no  school  to-day.  It  is  the  baby  that  was  saved 
last  winter  with  its  father  and  mother,  as  was  mentioned 


APPENDIX.  305 


in  Mr.  Hunt's  letter  to  the  Committee.*  May  this  event 
be  of  use  to  some  here  I  The  Indians  are  particularly 
fond  of  their  children. 

"  We  have  made  some  raspberry  jam,  and  preserved 
some  suska,  a  fruit  we  never  met  with  till  we  saw  it  here. 
The  women  go  out  and  gather  the  fruit,  and  we  pay  them 
for  it.  They  generally  subsist  on  fruit  during  the  season. 
The  fish  is  remarkably  good,  and  caught  every  morning 
and  evening.  How  gracious  is  God,  in  these  far-off  parts 
where  there  are  no  shops,  to  provide  for  His  people's  wants 
as  it  were  from  His  very  own  loving  hand  !  If  we  want 
anything  more  than  fish  or  fruit,  or  what  we  brought  with 
us  (bacon,  ham,  peas,  flour,  &c.),  we  send  a  man  to  kill  a 
duck  or  a  goose,  or  even  to  go  out  to  hunt  for  us,  and  when 
he  kills  a  moose-deer  we  pay  him  the  fixed  price  for  it. 
Everything  is  paid  for  in  goods,  for  which  purpose  we 
brought  supplies  of  blankets,  knives,  cotton  handkerchiefs, 
belts,  tobacco,  shawls,  shirts,  cloth,  &c. 

"  On  the  Sunday  we  have  prayers  and  lecture  early ; 
morning  service  begins  at  eleven  o'clock  ;  school  at  three 
o'clock.  Mr.  Hunt,  Sabina,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Settee,  and 
myself  teach.  After  school,  Mr.  Hunt  addresses  the 
children,  and  prays.  There  is  also  singing  before  and 
after  school.  Evening  service  at  six  o'clock,  chiefly  in 
English,  as  the  morning  service  is  in  Cree. 

"  It  is  indeed  pleasant  work  to  be  thus  engaged ;  but 
how  dead  all  would  be  without  God's  Spirit  breathing  upon 
us !  Oh,  that  dead  sinners  may  be  converted,  and  living 
souls  strengthened!  The  anxious  inquiry  before  the 
Lord  is,  'Has  He  not  some  among  these  dear  people 

*  Page  288. 


306  APPENDIX. 


whom  he  has  ordained  to  eternal  life  ?'  and,  *  Will  He  not 
graciously  send  a  word  to  such,  and  manifest  them  as  His 
own,  call  them  by  His  grace,  and  make  them  His  ?'  *  Hie 
people  shall  be  willing  in  the  day  of  his  power.' 

"  If  you  were  to  see  only  the  exterior  of  our  house,  you 
would  think,  *  "What !  and  do  they  live  there  ?'  But  if 
you  could  walk  in,  and  especially  were  you  to  pass  through 
the  large  room,  and  enter  our  own  apartment,  your  tone 
would  be  changed,  and  you  would  be  compelled  to  think, 
4  What  comfort,  and  I  hope  happiness  dwell  there !'  It  is 
about  sixteen  feet  by  twelve ;  the  walls  are  plastered  with 
mud,  but  look  neat  as  if  colored  drab.  There  are  three 
small  windows,  one  of  which  is  parchment,  but  the  blind 
is  kept  down  over  it.  The  other  two  are  glazed,  and  have 
also  white  blinds.  We  have  also  mosquito  curtains, 
which  look  pretty  and  nice ;  and  several  large  buffalo-robes 
cover  the  floor."* 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter  of  tlie 
same  date,  from  the  Kev.  E.  Hunt,  gives  a  far- 
ther insight  into  the  present  position  of  our 
Missionaries  in  this  distant  spot : — 

"  Lac  la  Range, 
"  August  19, 1850. 

*  *  *  "  There  are  but  lew  Indians  at  present  here,  but, 
as  the  winter  approaches,  we  expect  many  more.    We 

*  "We  must,  however,  so  far  qualify  Mrs.  Hunt's  cheerful 
view  of  her  present  habitation,  as  to  tell  our  readers  that 
the  two  rooms  of  which  the  house  consists  are  very  low  and 
not  altogether  water-tight ! 


APPENDIX  307 


have  now  twenty  individuals  entirely  dependent  on  us; 
among  them  are  six  orphans,  and  a  widow  with  her  two 
children :  we  hope  to  be  able  to  support  them  by  fish  from 
the  lake.  We  shall  also  be  frequently  obliged  to  support 
the  Indians  who  visit  the  station,  and  it  is,  therefore,  very 
important  to  increase  our  internal  resources.  In  order  to 
bring  the  land  into  cultivation,  the  heavy,  wet  clay,  and 
the  swampy,  mossy  ground,  must  be  drained ;  the  stony 
soil,  covered  with  firs,  must  be  cleared  of  stumps  and 
stones  ;  sand  must  be  procured  from  a  distance  to  lighten 
the  clay ;  the  rocky  margin  of  the  lake  must  contribute  its 
aquatic  plants  and  its  superfluous  fish  for  manure ;  and 
by  these  means  we  hope  in  time  to  raise  potatoes,  oats, 
and  barley,  garden  herbs,  and  hardy  vegetables.  As  yet 
nothing  has  been  planted,  except  two  bushels  of  potatoes 
and  a  few  turnips.  This  work  will  not  only,  we  hope, 
supply  some  of  our  many  wants,  and  render  us  by  degrees 
less  dependent  upon  external  help,  but  will  afford  em- 
ployment to  the  Indians. 

"  At  present  I  am  alternately  blacksmith,  carpenter,  and 
plasterer.  Out  of  doors,  I  am  now  in  the  drain,  now  at 
the  fence ;  the  axe,  the  spade,  the  hoe,  and  the  hammer, 
are  becoming  equally  familiar  to  me.  Meanwhile  the 
school  is  not  neglected ;  and  I  am  also  engaged  in  instruct- 
ing the  Indians,  and  preparing  some  of  them  for  baptism. 
In  the  winter,  when  all  are  assembled,  I  hope  to  have  reg* 
ular  adult  classes. 

"Mr.  and  Mrs.  Settee  have  done  much  and  suffered 
much  since  their  arrival ;  but  if  it  is  decided  for  us  to  re- 
main here,  the  Bishop  has  promised  to  send  us  a  carpen- 
ter from  the  Red  River  next  summer,  when  we  hope  to 
have  a  house  built,  and  we  shall  all  be  more  comfortable." 


308  APPENDIX. 


In  another  letter,  Mr.  Hunt,  after  speaking 
of  the  destitute  state  of  the  Indians  at  Lac  la 
Eonge,  says: — 

"  For  these,  and  others  such  as  these,  we  want  prompt 
aid,  in  the  shape  of  articles  for  clothes.  The  coming  long 
and  cold  winter  will  consume  all  we  brought  with  us,  and 
we  are  not  certain  that  we  can  receive  anything  that  may 
come  out  by  the  ships  next  May,  before  July,  1852,  un- 
less we  have  an  opportunity  of  sending  to  Lake  Winni- 
peg some  time  in  September,  1851.  We  shall  heartily 
thank  God,  and  our  dear  friends  who  assisted  us  in  1849, 
and  any  others  whom  God  may  dispose  to  clothe  our 
naked  people,  if  they  will  kindly  send  to  the  Church 
Missionary  House,  Salisbury  Square,  by  the  middle  of  next 
May,  and  any  following  year,  such  articles  as  those  men- 
tioned below,  for  the  use  of  the  English-River  Mission  : — 

Blankets,  small  and  large. 

Strong  warm  flannels,  white,  red,  or  blue. 

Stout  washing  prints. 

Woollen  shawls. 

Stout  unbleached  calico. 

Strong,  coarse  woollen  cloth,  for  coats  (Stroud's). 

Strong  striped  cotton  for  men's  shirts,  blue  or  pink. 

Strong  common  combs,  for  use  after  washing. 

Needles,  thimbles,  and  scissors. 

Strong  pocket-knives. 

Fire-steels  and  gun-flints. 

Twine  for  fishing-nets,  Nos.  1,  6,  and  10. 

Large  cod  fish-hooks. 

Any  useful  article  of  clothing  for  man,  woman,  or 

child. 

" '  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least 
of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me.' " 


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